One Love:Two Worlds
by superfreak330
Summary: [KakashiOC] The NEW and IMPROVED form of my 'Two Worlds:One Love' fic! Check it out and tell me which version you like better.
1. Be Our Guest

**A/N:** Okay, so I've decided to make a few changes on my _Two Worlds, One L_o_ve_ fic. That said, I've decided it would be much easier for me to repost it as a whole new story on it's own, since the changes are enough that they'd possably have negative effects if I tried changing the chapters in the "old" version. Fear not though, for the changes won't effect the overall story/plot! Think of them as an improvement on the fic and not a completely diffrent story. (Does that make sense?)

The most major changes would be: the OC's name from Emiri Rankin to Emma Solinger, a descriptive paragraph about Emma instead of a bio, Kakashi isn't as big a flirt as before, the absence of "Kakashi's forgotten 'play date'" scene, chapter length, and Kakashi will now have been celibate for about 8-10 years from before the beginning of this fic. All other changes are mostly minor and consist of spelling/grammer mistakes and whatnot.

I'd like to thank KinKitsune01 for helping me with a paragraph change, and valinorstwilight for becoming my beta reader.

* * *

_'Holy shit!'_ Emma thought to herself, '_Where the hell am I?'_ Emma had just gotten off her job and was trying in vain to drive home. Unfortunately, tonight was a rather foggy night, thus impairing her sight and making the drive home seem rather impossible and tedious. 

Boy, was she lost! Normally the drive home would've taken about 25-30 minutes, but tonight it's been over an hour. Any other day Emma would've take the freeway back to her house, as it was the fastest route home. However today she couldn't, there was some serious crash, and traffic on the main roads was bad. So figuring she'd take the back roads home to avoid the traffic, she'd now gotten lost in a never ending sea of mist.

"This is freak'n ridiculous! How the hell am I supposed to get back home when I can't even s-AAAAHHHHH!" Suddenly, Emma slammed on the breaks as a huge buck jumped in front of her car, causing a loud **THUD!** sound against her hood, and cracking her windshield. However the sudden loss in momentum, and built-up velocity, caused the car to steer off into a tree. In what seemed like decades, but was more likely a split second or two, Emma's whole life flashed before her eyes.

**Elsewhere, in Konoha…**

**_Gurgle Gurgle_**

"Kakashi-sensei, I'm hungry. When do we get to stop for lunch?" Naruto complained hungrily as he clenched his stomach. "We've been training for six straight hours now and I'm STARVING!"

"Is that all you thinks about, Naruto, food?" Sakura lectured.

"Not all the time!" Naruto replied, somewhat sheepishly. "Sometimes I think about other things too!"

"Humph…Doubt it." Sasuke mumbled.

"What was that, you asshole?" Naruto bellowed.

Sasuke stared back at Naruto sternly. "If you ever wish to become Hokage then you'd better spend more time working on your skills and less time stuffing your big mouth." Sasuke replied in his usual monotone voice.

"Why you…! How dare you say that, you idiot!" Naruto barked as he shook his fist warningly at his opponent.

Kakashi sighed, _'When will those two ever learn to sort out their differences?'_ he wondered. "How many times must I stress the importance of teamwork with you three?" he asked, pocketing his copy of _Icha Icha Paradaisu_ and slowly walking closer to the group.

Sakura rolled her eyes. '_Great, here comes another sp-_'

**CRASH!**

"What the hell?" Naruto exclaimed.

"What was that?" Sakura asked as she, like the other three, took up a defensive stance.

"It sounded like some kind of explosion, sensei! Maybe we're under attack!" Naruto yelled.

"No," Kakashi replied, "if that was the case I would've detected some sign of movement by now."

"Then what was that?" Sakura inquired.

"I don't know, but I intend to find out." Kakashi replied.

The next second Kakashi bolted through the treetops towards the direction the sound originated.

"Wait for us, Sensei!" Naruto shouted as he and the other two began to follow.

**Back to Emma … **

"Ugh…!" Emma moaned as pain surged throughout her body. _'Holy fuck'n shit! What, what just happened?'_ Just then she took notice of the soft cushion her head was rested on. _'Am I, in bed?'_ Slowly, Emma opened her eyes, expecting to see her bedroom, but instead finding something much different. '_What the hell…? I'm in a…forest?'_ Emma scrunched her brow in confusion. Somehow she found herself looking out the window of what appeared to be her car. _'So then the pillow mist be…?'_ Yep, she was right. Her pillow was not a pillow at all, but instead her airbag.

"Kakashi-sensei look!" Emma herd a girl yell from seemingly nowhere.

_'The heck?_'

"What do you think it is?" came another voice, only this one was male.

Okay, this was freaky. Not only did Emma wake up from what she assumed must've been a car crash, but now she was hearing voices?

'_Lovely, not only was I in an accident, but now I'm going delusional and hearing voices! Well, they always said I was cracked! I guess now I proved them right!'_ Emma mused to herself, trying to suppress the paranoia that was beginning to set in. '_Then again…maybe I'm not hallucinating. Maybe someone's here to help?'_ She could only hope that she was right. _'I just hope they don't end up being serial killers or rapists!' _Emma thought, paranoid and hypothetical assements of her current situation running through her head.

"Umm hello, is anybody th-ACK!" Emma jumped in her seat as a masked man with silver/gray hair popped up in front of the window.

"Holy shit!" she screamed, trying desperately to open her glove compartment.

"How the heck do you open this-Ah, here we go!" the man stated as he opened the drivers' side door.

'_Where is that…? Ah-ha!_' Quickly, she grabbed her mace and aimed the can at the man.

"Umm hello Miss..?" the man spoke.

"AHH…!" Emma jumped in her seat as the man popped his head into the car. "D-don't come a-any closer or, or else!" she warned, voice unsteady.

Just then a boy with blond, spiky hair popped his head into the car as well.

"ACK!" Emma screamed, spraying the bottle of mace at the two.

Well, needless to say, Kakashi and Naruto WEREN'T expecting THAT!

"WTF was THAT for?" Naruto screamed as both he and Kakashi fell back in pain.

Emma just looked at her can of mace, at awe in what she actually did. She'd never actually thought she'd have to use the can. Meanwhile Sakura and Sasuke were in total shock. What did this strange girl do to their master?

"Hey you!" Sakura screamed at Emma. Emma looked at the girl in shock. "Yeah, you! Who do you think you are, doing that to Kakashi-sensei?"

"Uh…I-I-I uh…" Emma stuttered.

"Don't just sit there gawking, idiot, answer me!" Sakura bellowed.

"All right Sakura," Kakashi interrupted as he rubbed his sore eye, "that's enough."

Naruto stared at the blurred form of his sensei in shock. "B-but Sensei, that girl j-"

"I said that was enough, Naruto." The tall Jounin interjected. "It's obvious that this girl is scared, so what she did was presumably out of survival instinct."

"But what the heck?" Naruto shouted. "What reason does she have to be scared? We were only trying to help!"

"Y-you were trying to h-help?" Emma gawked.

"Of coarse we were, what else did you think we were doing?" Sakura shouted.

"Mug me, for starters." Emma answered bashfully.

"Mug you? Do we look like thieves to you?" Naruto shouted as he stomped angrily towards the car, fist shaking.

"Uh…yes?" Emma responded. Was that question rhetorical? _'Der! Of course you look like muggers! What kind of __NORMAL__ people go around wearing masks?'_ she thought to herself. Kakashi couldn't help but stifle a smile laugh at her response. Everyone noticed that and looked shockingly at him.

"I guess I kinda do look like a mugger with this mask on, huh?" Kakashi responded, a sly smirk as he rubbed the back of his head. Emma straightened up her back, so that she was no longer in a curled/defensive position.

"Ah, kinda?" she replied, in a smart-ass kind of tone. Again, Kakashi couldn't help but laugh at her response.

"Well, I'm not. None of us are." he answered, gesturing towards his team.

Emma raised her right eyebrow. "Then explain the mask?"

"Okay." Kakashi responded. "You explain what the heck it is you're in."

Emma looked at him unbelievingly. "What the fuck does this look like?" she answered. "It's a car, dumb-ass!"

"A what?" Kakashi responded.

"What the hell is a car?" Naruto blurted.

'_Are they retarded or something? These people can't be SERIOUS!_' Emma thought to herself. "You're shit'n me, right?" she scoffed.

"Ew, why would we do that?" Sakura replied.

Emma sweat-dropped. These people didn't look Amish. _'Wait, even Amish people know what a car is!'_ she thought to herself. "A car, you know, you drive it?" she responded. _'I can't believe I'm actually having to define what a car is!'_ she though sarcastically.

"Drive?" Naruto asked dumbfounded.

Ugh. These people were starting to annoy her. "Yes." She said, grabbing her key (which was still in the ignition) and starting the car.

"AHHH…!" Sakura and Naruto screamed as all four of them jumped back in fear. Just then Naruto threw one of his kunai knifes, striking the hood with it.

"Holy shit! WTF was THAT for?" Emma yelled. "Do you have any idea how much this thing set me back?"

Kakashi blinked in awe as he strode over to the car, yanking out the knife. "This car thing is really strange." he stated, his hand gently gliding over the door.

"And you're suppose to be normal?" Emma mocked.

Kakashi chuckled. "Yes actually. It's you, my friend, who isn't normal."

Emma smiled devilishly at his comment. "Well when you're right you're right. I'm anything BUT normal."

Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto looked shocked/disbelievingly at what she said.

"Is that so?" Kakashi replied, quite intrigued.

"Yep. In fact, normal people scare me." Emma smiled, remembering the time she saw a bumper-sticker with that _'_ _Normal__ people scare me' _quote on it. Yet again this strange girl intrigued Kakashi as he laughed merrily at her statement.

"Well in any case, it'd be nice to know the name of our new abnormal friend."

"Huh, me?" Emma asked dumbfounded.

Kakashi nodded, "Who else would I be talking to?"

"Um… Emma, Emma Solinger." she replied, answering the masked man's question.

"Emma, huh? What a strange name."

_'And I suppose Kakashi is normal!'_ Emma grimaced to herself.

It was then that Kakashi's students broke out of their shocked states and glared at the man.

"Kakashi-sensei, you jerk, don't you know it's rude to make fun of someone's name like that!" Sakura scolded. "You might've hurt her feelings!"

"But Sakura, Emma IS a weird-" **SMACK!** Naruto's sentence was cut short by Sakura's hand upside his head.

"Please, forgive them." she smiled sheepishly.

"Calm down Sakura, I didn't mean anything by it." Kakashi sighed. "I'm sure Miss Solinger is just as normal as everybody else."

Sasuke scoffed at his remark. "Yeah, right."

"What was that, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked.

"Humph…nothing." Sasuke replied in his normal monotone voice.

"That's not true, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled. "You sa-UMF!" Sakura jabbed her elbow into Naruto's stomach angrily.

"Shut up and mind your own business!" she scolded. Kakashi just smiled as he shook his head, before turning back around to face Emma.

"I think we should take you to see the Hokage." he stated.

"The what?" Emma asked.

"The Hokage, our leader." Sakura informed her.

"Oh." Emma remarked as Naruto started telling everyone that he was gunna become the best Hokage ever.

"Shut up, you idiot." Sasuke grunted towards Naruto.

"What was that, you asshole?" Naruto screamed.

"You'd better not be talking to your future Hokage like that!"

"I'm not." Sasuke retorted, to which Naruto got even angrier.

"Just you wait; I will become the greatest Hokage ever, wait and see!"

"Now, now you two. You should spend more time training and less time arguing with your teammate." Kakashi lectured.

"Yeah, yeah..." Naruto sighed.

"Humph." Sasuke grunted.

"Now as I was saying, I believe the Hokage would like to have a word with you, Miss Solinger." Kakashi announced, reaching out his hand for her to take. Emma looked at his outstretched hand wearily.

"What about my car?" she inquired.

"I'm sure once we get to Konoha the Hokage will send someone to fetch it."

"Umm…okay. But they'd better not damage it!" Emma warned.

Kakashi chuckled, "No, I think you've already done a fine job of that yourself."

Emma blushed, "Well it was an accident! Do you honestly think I would purposely try and-"

"That's not what I meant." Kakashi interjected.

"Well that's what it sounded like." Emma grimaced.

Kakashi shook his head, "Follow me." And with that he started walking towards Konoha, followed shortly by the rest of the group.

As they made their way through the forest Emma took notice of their strange clothes. They didn't dress like most people. In fact, they looked like they just came from some cosplay convention. Another thing she noticed was that she didn't hear any cars, or see any houses as they walked. When she crashed she could've sworn it was in a residential area, one with few trees. How then did she, and her car, end up in a forest?

Things were strange to say the least. But not wanting to upset her supposed rescuers, Emma decided to leave her questions about where she was for later. First she'd try and find out about these people, to better determine wither they were truly as friendly as they claimed to be.

'_You never know, it could be some kind of trap. They could be luring me into a false state of security, then when I least expect it-WHAM! Trapped like a rat! Anyways, it's always better to be safe then sorry, right?'_

"So…You, umm…you never told me your names." Emma said, as they walked towards Konoha. If these people were truly her friends, they wouldn't mind her knowing their names, right? I mean, it's only proper manners. And besides, they knew hers.

"Oh, how rude of us!" Sakura replied. "Let me introduce you! I'm Sakura." she bowed as she introduced herself. "He's Sasuke," Sakura pointed to a boy with black hair and apparent attitude problem. "This is Kakashi-sensei," Sakura pointed to the tall man with silver/gray hair, who was engrossed in reading some type of book. "And _HE'S_ Naruto." Sakura pointed towards a wild looking kid with blond hair and an orange outfit. Emma also noticed how Sakura spoke Naruto's name like it was poison.

"So Emma," Naruto interjected, "what was that thing we found you in? It looked like some kind of steel house on wheels!" Well, Naruto was _kinda_ right. That wouldn't be how she would describe it, but that _would _be one way to put it, assuming one didn't know what a car was. And these people, especially Naruto, obviously didn't.

"You idiot, didn't you pay attention to what she said earlier?" Sakura scolded Naruto. He just looked back at her dumbfounded. Sighing, Sakura replied "Em-chan told us that was a car. Jeeze Naruto, if it doesn't involve ramen you don't pay attention, do you?" Kakashi chuckled at his students as he turned to the next page of his_ Icha Icha Paradaisu. _

Emma had noticed that he seemed awfully engrossed in that book, and wondered what it was about. _'It must be awfully good. I wonder what kind of book it is?'_

"So Kakashi, what you reading?" Emma asked.

"This?" Kakashi asked, peering over the top of his book at her.

"No, the other book in your hand!" Emma retorted.

Kakashi chuckled at her response. "It's ca-"

"Oh, I don't think you wanna read THAT book!" Sakura interjected.

"Why not?" Emma asked, intrigued at what could possibly be in the book that Sakura didn't want her to see.

"Because, it's an adult graphic novel." Sakura explained, obviously uncomfortable with the subject.

Emma cocked an eyebrow. _'Adult graphic novel?'_ "You mean porn?"

Sakura nodded, blushing. "Very," she murmured.

"It's called _Icha Icha Paradaisu_, wanna look?" Kakashi interrupted, holding out the manga for Emiri to look.

"Nah, don't wanna get my hands all sticky." Emma joked. At this Kakashi laughed full-heartedly, obviously enjoying this girl's sense of humor. Meanwhile Sasuke and Sakura looked at Emma in shock. Had she just said that? Poor Naruto however, didn't get what was being implied.

"Great," mumbled Sasuke, "looks like we have another pervert to worry about now."

"Pervert, am I?" Emma asked jokingly. "Well I guess my sense of humor does tend to lean towards more adult and other crude jokes." Emma smiled bashfully as she said this, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment doing so.

"Really?" inquired Kakashi. "Then maybe you'd like to see this book after all?"

"Nah…Jokes are one thing, porn is a TOTALLY different story." Emma informed him.

Kakashi shrugged as he returned back to reading his book. "Suit yourself." A few minutes later the group emerged from the forest and Emma noticed a rather large village/town that they were supposedly heading towards. And around the village, she noticed, was a rather big wall. It almost looked like an old medieval town, only Japanese.

"Wow, talk about surreal!" Emma mused to herself, more then to anyone else.

"Huh?" Naruto asked, noticing her expression.

"Oh nothing, I just didn't think small towns like this existed anymore. Well, at least not many, that is." she explained.

"What do you mean by 'small towns like this'?" Naruto inquired. Everyone else also seemed interested in Emma's answer, as they all looked intensively at her.

"Not to say it isn't a VERY lovely town!" Emma smiled nervously, hoping she didn't accidentally insult them. "It's just that it's not everyday you see old fashioned towns like this. It's actually quite cute, to tell the truth. Homey even!"

**About half an hour later, In the Hokage's office…**

"And you have no recollection of how you got here?" the Hokage (Sarutobi) asked, still weary of the bizarre predicament Emma had presented.

Emma shook her head. "No. And if I did, do you honestly think I'd still be here? No offence, I mean…You guys have been nice to me and all, but my family must be wondering what happened to me and-"

"We understand." Sarutobi interrupted Emma. "However, since we have no idea of how you got here, we also have no idea as to how to get you home."

Emma sighed. _'Great, I guess I'm gonna be stuck in this place, with theses people, for a while. Just my luck. It figures something like this would happen to me, weird things always happen to me.'_

"So then, since Emma won't be going home anytime soon, where will she live?" the Hokage's assistant (and most trusted advisor), Suichii, asked. He had a valid question. Where would Emma stay? The Hokage couldn't just let her sleep outside; she was their guest after all. But then, who would take in such a strange girl?

Sarutobi looked at Emma, contemplating what he should do with her. _'Where could this strange girl have come from? And how did she get here?'_ he wondered. _'And also, why is she here, now? Is there some reason for her sudden appearance?'_ Feeling a little uneasy with the stare she was getting from the Hokage, Emma offered up a solution of her own. "I could always sleep in my car."

"Sleep in your what?" Sarutobi questioned.

"My car. It's quite big; it's an SUV after all. And since the engine still works, I'll be able to use the heater so I won't get cold. Also, I have a few supplies in the back." Emma explained, embellishing her words by flailing her arms as she spoke. (For dramatic effect and all.) Taking a deep breath, Emma continued with her explanation. "See I went camping with my friends about a week ago and I've yet to unpack everything I took. You know, what with work and all. Plus I just didn't feel like it. Guess my laziness was in my best interest though, since now I have supplies."

By now everyone in the room was looking at Emma in awe. Her explanation was quite quick, and hard to understand in her haste. Luckily they understood her, for the most part. Kakashi chuckled at the obviously nervous girl. He had found her over enthusiastic explanation quite entertaining. The way Emma was now, it seemed to him, that she might pass out. But whether it would be from the shock of her situation finally setting in, or from sheer exhaustion brought on by her sudden rant, he wasn't sure.

"Are you certain that this car, whatever it is, would be suitable accommodations for you?" Sarutobi asked Emma, uncertain of what a car was, and how one would fair living out of one.

"Oh yeah, for sure!" Emma responded, a shy smile across her face. _'Of course it's not gonna be the comfiest place in the world, and it'll be a little scary being by myself and all…But, I'd rather stay in my car then risk getting stuck in some cockroach-infested hotel or rooming with a person I've never met.'_

Pondering Emma's suggestion, the Hokage/Sarutobi decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. _'Still,'_ he thought, _'I wonder what Suichii's thoughts on this matter are?'_

"What do you think about it, Suichii?" he asked his assistant.

After a quick thought, Suichii finally gave his response. "Let us first have a look at this car thing, so that we may better asses whether or not it would make a habitable place to live, before we resolve things for certain."

Sounded like a good enough plan. "Alright, sounds good to me. How about you?" Sarutobi asked Emma.

Emma shrugged. "Well, if you wanna…but-"

"Good, then it's decided." Sarutobi smiled, standing up from behind his desk. "Come, follow me. The men I sent to fetch your car should've brought it back by now." he indicated towards the door, intending for the group to follow him.

**Outside the Hokage's office…**

"Here it is Sir." A ninja said, gesturing the small group towards the car.

"Thank you, Ping." Sarutobi replied. "You may go now."

"Yes sir." Ping responded, bowing before he left.

"So, this is your car then is it, Emma?" Sarutobi asked, glancing at the strange metal contraption.

"Yup, that's my baby." Emma answered, smiling proudly. Not only was it her first car, but it was also all hers. She had paid for it, without any help from anyone. It took her forever to save up and buy that car, a feat in and of itself. Emma hardly ever had money, and when she did it tended to burn a proverbial hole in her pocket. So naturally, saving up enough money to buy a car was the hardest thing she ever had to do. Thus one can understand why Emma was proud of that accomplishment.

"Baby?" the others (consisting of Kakashi, Sarutobi, and Suichii) questioned in unison.

"Um…yeah." Emma replied, hesitantly. "Well naturally it isn't my baby literally; it's just a figure of speech. I say it's my baby because that's what it's like to me, and that's how I treat it. Not saying that I nurse it, or rock it to sleep in a chair…" Emma smirked as she explained the last bit sarcastically. Kakashi smiled at this, while Suichii and the Hokage sweat dropped.

"Heh, I guess you wouldn't." Sarutobi remarked, scratching the back of his head.

"So, you said you wanted to look at her, right?" Emma asked.

"Now it's a her?" Kakashi asked, confused.

Emma chuckled. "Yeah, most people tend to refer to their cars like women. Well where I come from they do."

"Why?" Suichii asked.

"I dunno, and to tell the truth, I wondered that myself. I think it's because cars, like women, are complex and yet beautiful works of human engineering." Emma explained.

"Oh…" Suichii replied.

Emma smirked, "That and like women, men can't wait to get inside a good car." Once again, Emma's sense of humor was not lost on Kakashi, as he chuckled merrily at her statement. Meanwhile the Hokage and Suichii laughed nervously at her comment, not fully knowing how to react, or what compelled Emma to say such things.

After about an hour and a half of meticulously studying the SUV, the owner's manual, and Emma's explanations as to how she would carry out living in such a thing, the Hokage and Suichii were now 'in conference'. "Ugh. How long is it gonna take them?" Emiri sighed.

Kakashi shrugged as he turned the page in his _Icha Icha Paradaisu_. "Who knows. But it shouldn't be too much longer."

Sighing heavily, Emma waited impatiently for the verdict. "This is ridiculous! I'm 19 years old, I'm old enough now that I can take care of myself! Who is this Hokage dude to tell me what I can and can not do?"

"You're quite right, Miss Solinger." The Hokage answered, scaring Emma. (She didn't notice he'd dismissed his "conference" yet.)

"Jeez! Don't do that!" Emma yelled, trying her best to regain her composure. Kakashi hid a slight smirk as once again turned the page in his beloved manga. The Hokage, meanwhile, smiled at Emma's nervous reaction.

"Sorry to have scared you, I didn't intend to do that." Emma nodded her head in understanding, as the Hokage continued with his statement. "And while your age, or your ability to take care of yourself under normal circumstances, is not at issue here, your safety while here is."

Her safety? What possible hazard was there to her? "Bu-" she started to reply, but was cut short by Suichii.

"You must understand, what the Hokage is trying to say, Miss. You see, we have no idea as to how or why you are here. And because we don't, we can only assume that you being here is not a mere coincidence, but rather you were brought here for some greater purpose."

Sarutobi nodded his head in agreement as to what his advisor was telling the girl.

'_Greater purpose? WTF?' _Emma double-blinked in confusion.

"And since as of now we have no clue as to what purpose that would be, we must take certain precautions as to ascertain to your safety while you are here. Do you understand?" Suichii asked.

"I guess so…" Emma stated. _'Well, if Mr. Diplomatic is worried about my safety, then I'll just have to relieve him of such worries, and leave.'_

"Good then-" the Hokage started, but was cut short by Emma.

"If my being here is going to endanger your people in any way, then I will be of no more inconvenience to you." Emma stated, in her _'I can sound diplomatic too' _voice. The group of men looked at her, curious as to the reasoning behind her sudden outburst.

"Excuse me, Miss?" the Hokage questioned.

"You heard me, Sir. I'm sorry for any and all inconvenience I have caused you, and so as of now I will take my leave. Good day." Emma stated smugly and diplomatically, before turning around towards her car. Emma's escape was cut short however, by Kakashi's firm grip on her wrist.

"I don't think that's what they had in mind." he stated, as Emma tuned around to face him.

"You don't honestly think we'd allow you to leave, do you?" Sarutobi asked.

Emma shrugged. "Yeah, why not? It's not like I'm your prisoner, am I?" she responded, questionably. The Hokage and Suichii waved their hands nervously in front of themselves, while Kakashi sweat-dropped.

"By no means are you our prisoner!" Sarutobi smiled reassuringly.

Emma raised her eyebrow in confusion. "Then why can't I go?"

"Didn't you hear a word I was saying?" Suichii asked gruffly. "You could be in danger!"

"Yeah, I got that."

"Then surely you can understand how we cannot allow for you to be harmed in any way." Suichii explained.

Noticing Emma's slight confusion, Kakashi cleared his throat. "What Suichii is trying to say is that we are worried for your safety."

'_Why would they be worried about me?'_ Emma wondered. _'They don't even know me!'_ "Y-you are?" she asked, dumbfounded.

Kakashi smiled brightly as he nodded. "Of coarse we are. We just can't let person such as yourself go wondering about when there is the possibility that you might get hurt, can we? What kind of ninjas would we be then?"

'_Wait a minute…Did he just say they were NINJAS?'_

"Ninjas?" Emma exclaimed. Now it was the guys' turn to look surprised.

"Uh, yeah." Kakashi answered. "What did you think we were?"

"I dunno, carnies?"

"What are 'carnies'?" Suichii asked.

Emma sweat-dropped. "Uhh…people who run carnivals." she explained. Kakashi couldn't help it, he just had to laugh. Did they really look THAT ridiculous to the girl that she would confuse them for people at a carnival?

"Ah-hem." Sarutobi said, clearing his throat. "I can assure you miss, we are not, as you say, 'carnies'."

Emma blushed. Boy, did she feel stupid now! "Then, you were serious about being ninjas?" she questioned.

Suichii looked at her, insulted that she would think they would lie about such a thing. "Of coarse we are! Why wouldn't we be?" he asked.

Emma shrugged. "Well I guess it's cool and all. But I don't think that being ninjas would make you guys much money now a days. So, what is it that you do for your REAL work?"

"Being a ninja is our REAL work!" Suichii answered, insulted at Emma's crude accusations.

"Don't you have ninjas where you're from, Miss Solinger?" the Hokage asked.

"Quite frankly, no. Well, at least not any professional ones. That is, unless all those action movies are right and there are actual ninja assassins. But even those people have duel identities and a cover job, so that nobody knows what they REALY are. I mean, it's not like you can turn to the 'Ninjas for Hire' section in your _Yellow Pages_!" Emma laughed nervously at the looks she was receiving from the men. Talk about an uncomfortable and deadening silence! What she wouldn't give to just disappear!

"Well, in any case." The Hokage began, breaking the silence. "From what we've seen of this car thing, I have discerned it to be an unfit residence. Not only is it small and cramped for space, but it provides little to no protection."

"In deed." Suichii agreed.

"Therefore I see it only fit to assign you residence with one of Konoha's finest ninjas." Sarutobi continued his explanation.

"Quite." Suichii nodded in agreement. "And who did you have in mind for this, Hokage?" he asked.

"Fa Chii." Sarutobi announced. Chii was one of the finest female ninjas in all of Konoha, and would be the most suitable choice for Emma's roommate.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, that's it for my new and improved fic. How'd everyone like it? Is this better then the original, or should I just forget about all the changes and delete this? 


	2. Strangers Like Me

**A/N:** Okay, so I've decided to make a few changes on my _Two Worlds, One L_o_ve_ fic. That said, I've decided it would be much easier for me to repost it as a whole new story on it's own, since the changes are enough that they'd possably have negative effects if I tried changing the chapters in the "old" version. Fear not though, for the changes won't effect the overall story/plot! Think of them as an improvement on the fic and not a completely diffrent story. (Does that make sense?)

The most major changes would be: the OC's name from Emiri Rankin to Emma Solinger, a descriptive paragraph about Emma instead of a bio, Kakashi isn't as big a flirt as before, the absence of "Kakashi's forgotten 'play date'" scene, chapter length, and Kakashi will now have been celibate for about 8-10 years from before the beginning of this fic. All other changes are mostly minor and consist of spelling/grammer mistakes and whatnot.

I'd like to thank KinKitsune01 for helping me with a paragraph change, and valinorstwilight for becoming my beta reader.

* * *

"Well, this is my place." Chii stated upon opening the door to the apartment she would now share with Emma. "Make yourself at home."

"Umm…thanks." Emma replied as she walked in and took a look around.

"If you want, I could get you a bed of your own tomorrow, but for tonight you'll have to make due on the couch." Chii explained, pointing towards the couch.

Emma smiled faintly. "Oh you don't have to get me a bed; the couch will do just fine."

Chii shook her head at the notion. "No way, from now you're living here, and as such it's only appropriate that you have your own bed."

"I guess, if you insist. But I promise I'll pay you back for it once I get a job."

"That won't be necessary, but thanks anyways." Chii smiled. Just then Emma's stomach growled.

**Gurgle Gurgle**

Chii laughed as Emma blushed faintly. "I take it you're hungry?" Chii inquired.

"Yeah, it would appear so." Emma joked.

"Alright, I'll make dinner while you unpack. Feel free to put all the clothes you have in my closet, there's plenty of room." Chii told Emma, before walking to the kitchen.

**Some time later…**

"I hope you like soba noodles and miso soup." Chii said in a sing-song voice, upon setting the table.

Emma looked up her in confusion. "I wouldn't know, I've never tried them."

"Huh?" Chii looked at Emma in bewilderment. "How can you not have had them before, didn't your parents cook for you?"

"Uh yeah, they did." Emma stated flatly. "But not Japanese. Usually we ate American dishes."

"What dishes?" Chii inquired.

"American, you know, as in from the United States of America." Emma retorted, slightly shocked at Chii for not knowing what 'American' meant.

Chii looked at Emma in bafflement. "Boy," she said, "you must've REALY hurt your head in that crash, huh?"

"What's THAT supposed to mean?" Emma responded defensively.

"Oh, I didn't mean it how it sounded!" Chii said, waving her hands in front of herself. "I didn't mean to imply that you were stupid or anything like that. I just, well…I've never heard of a place called the United States before and-"

"You've never heard of the US before?" Emma asked dumbfounded.

"Uh…no." Chii replied hesitantly. "Why, should I have?"

"Uh yeah, I would think so. I mean America is the richest country in the world, so I doubt that there's many people who haven't heard of it." answered Emma.

"Well, I guess I'm one of those few." Replied Chii, still stunned.

"Apparently." Emma joked mockingly.

Just then Chii remembered about their dinner and how it was starting to get cold while they were talking. "In any case, let's eat." She said. "You can tell me about this America place after we've had a proper meal."

Emma nodded. "Sounds like a plan." Emma must've spent the whole night telling Chii about America, because the next thing she knew, it was two o'clock in the mourning!

"Wow, look at the time!" Chii exclaimed. "I didn't think it was so late, we best get to bed."

"Heh-heh, yeah." Emma chuckled, "I guess I got a little carried away, huh?"

Chii nodded, "A little, but I enjoyed hearing every moment of it! You certainly come from an interesting place, Emma!"

Emma yawned, "Yeah, I guess I do. But this place, Konoha, it's pretty cool too. You think maybe you could give me a tour tomorrow, Chii?"

Chii nodded as she stretched. "Yeah, but for now let's get some shut-eye. Good night, Emma."

"Good night, Chii."

The next day Emma awoke to the sounds of people talking in Chii's kitchen. "And then she started talking about television and something called a PS2." came a female voice, Emma assumed was Chii's.

"Wow, you're right, she does sound strange." came a man's voice.

_'Great, it's not even my first day here and already people are talking about me!'_ Emma thought as she made her way across the living room to take a shower. _'Oh well, I guess I should be use to people thinking I'm a freak by now.'_ Emma shrugged as she stepped into the bathroom.

After about fifteen-twenty minutes of showering, Emma got out and wrapped both herself (body) and her hair in towels, intending to go into Chii's room to get a change of clothes. _'I'd better knock first.'_ She thought. _'I don't wanna take the chance of walking in on Chii while she's dressing.' _

**Knock-Knock**

"Hey Chii, is it all right to come in?" Emma asked. No answer. _'Huh, that's strange.' _ "Uh Chii, you in there?" Emma asked, knocking on the door again.

"She's not h-" came a guy's (Gai) voice from behind Emma.

Emma turned around, shocked and frightened. "What the-?" she gasped, grasping the towel tightly to her body. "ACK!" Emma screamed as she quickly ran past the man (still Gai) and into the kitchen, grabbing a pot and taking a defensive position.

Gai followed her into the kitchen, shock and embarrassment spread across his face. "It's okay I'm-" he started.

"You stay right there, or I swear to God, I'll fuck'n kick your ass!" Emma screamed, raising the pan into the air, ready to strike.

Gai held up his hands in a defensive position as he slowly approached Emma. "Don't worry I'm not going to-" **WHACK!** Before Gai knew it, Emma had had bitch-smacked him across the face. Then, promptly dropping said pan, ran out the apartment door yelling for help.

"Help somebody, HELP!" Emma screamed before turning the corner towards the steps. Unfortunately for her, Emma's turn was a bit too sharp which caused her trip and fall down a flight of stairs. Landing with an "OOF!" and a **THUD!**The last thing Emma saw before passing out was the strange man as he came bounding the stairs towards her.

The next thing Emma saw were the white ceiling tiles of her hospital room. _'Ugh. Where the hell am I?'_ she thought as she perched herself (or rather the top half of her body, from the waist up) up in her bed. Boy, did she have a splitting head ache! "Ouch!" Emma cried as she felt the top of her head. "God, that hurt! I wonder what I'm doing here?" Taking in her surroundings, Emma began to look around the room. "A hospital? How did I end up in a-?"

"Ah, so you're up, I see." said a rather well endowed nurse as she came walking into the room towards Emma.

"Uhh…how did I get here?" Emma asked as the nurse began looking in her ear.

"Well dear, that kind Mr. Gai brought you in after you fell down the stairs." the nurse explained, smiling as she got a stethoscope out of her pocket.

"What do you mean, 'after I fell down the stairs'? What happened?" Emma asked in bewilderment.

Marking down something on her chart, the nurse smiled up at Emma. "Say 'Ah'." she ordered. Emma sighed heavily before complying with the nurse's wishes.

"Good, good." the nurse commented. "It seems all you have is a rather large lump on your head. Other then that, you're perfectly fine." she smiled.

"Great." Emma mumbled. "But you still haven't answered my question."

"Well, from what Mr. Gai has told me, it seems he was told by your roommate Chii to look after you as she went on a sudden mission for the Hokage." The nurse smiled as she explained the circumstances.

Emma blinked in confusion. "Chii left?" The nurse nodded. "So then that guy, he wasn't some sort of burglar?"

The nurse giggled, "Heavens no!"

Emma blushed, embarrassed at her own stupidity and quick assumptions. "Heh-heh, oops!" she said, guilt plastered across her face.

"Oops indeed." replied the nurse. "Here, I believe that this will answer everything." the nurse said as she handed Emma a folded-up piece of paper before leaving. Unfolding the paper, Emma realized that it was a note. It read:

_Em-chan, _

_Something came up and I had to leave. I left you some money on the kitchen counter, so that you can buy more clothes for yourself. I have no idea when I'll be back, so feel free to help yourself to anything in the kitchen. _

_Which reminds me, I meant to go grocery shopping today, but I guess now I can't. Would you be kind enough to do that for me while you're out? I left the list next to the money. _ _Also, I asked my friend Gai to help you out today. I thought it was best, seeing as I won't be able to show you around myself. I just know you two will get along great! _

_One more thing. I talked to a friend of mine, Taku, who owns a bar, Genki, he said he'd be willing to give you a job as a waitress, if you like. I figured that way you'll have something to do while I'm gone, and you'll get the chance to make some new friends and money while you're at it! _

_Have a nice day- _

_Chii _

Just then there came a loud knock at the door, scaring Emma half to death and sending her flying six feet in the air. Looking up, Emma noticed the guy from the apartment standing in the door way.

"Uh, hi." He said, obviously nervous. "It's me again."

Emma smiled sheepishly, "Umm…come in?"

Gai nodded happily as he sat down in the chair next to Emma's bed.

"Listen, I'm sorry about earlier. See-" Emma began.

"Not to worry, my youth saved me from any mortal injuries…As for you, young lady," he walks over and grabs her hand, "Would a youthful, young goddess like you do me the pleasure of telling me your name?" He struck a dramatic and exaggerated pose and grinned broadly, flashing pearly white teeth at her. (Thanks toKinKitsune01 for this paragraph.)

Emma looked at Gai with a shocked expression across her face. _'Me, beautiful? A-heh, a-heh.' _Okay, not only was this guy strange, but he had an impaired sense of what beauty was. At least to Emma he did. After all, nobody had ever called her beautiful before! Freak, bitch, pervert (in reference to her sense of humor), etc.-but never beautiful! If anything they said the exact opposite. Of coarse Emma's friends and family said she was pretty, but then they were suppose to. It was all her peers from school, when she was in school, that repeatedly informed her how ugly and undesirable she was.

"I'm not a goddess, and the name is Emma." she stated, a tad bit agitated. "And you would be…?"

"Oh yes, how rude of me! My name is Maito Gai, 'Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey', and your loyal servant, God-I mean, Emma!" Gai replied, practically bellowing. Emma double-blinked in sheer bewilderment. Was this guy for real? Surly all this had to be an act! What other possible reason was there? After all, guys don't normally go around calling her 'Goddess' and proclaiming to be her servant. It had to be a joke!

"You're my servant?" Emma questioned, seeing if she heard right.

Gai nodded happily. "Of course! Chii-chan asked me to check up on you before she left today. She said she was being sent on an S-Class mission, and might not be back for a few days. So she wanted me to look after you in her absence." Yeah, that's what Chii's note had said. But what about-?

"What's with all this 'Goddess' talk then?" Emma asked, wondering why he'd referred to her as that in the first place.

A shocked look on his face, Gai replied exasperatedly: "One with such beauty as yourself cannot possibly be a mere mortal, therefore you must certainly be a goddess or another such heavenly creature."

"I'm not all that beautiful."

"Nonsense! You are the most beautiful creature I have seen! Therefore I must humbly request that you allow me the honor of escorting you to lunch!" Gai insisted as he took both of Emma's hands in his own.

Emma yanked her hands from his grasp before she replied. "Uh, well…I am hungry." BIG MISTAKE! After being checked-out of the hospital by a doctor, Gai insisted on showing Emma around Konoha and treating her to all the local 'hot spots'. All during which he insisted upon introducing her to all of the town's folk and showing her off like some prized trophy he'd won. It had been four and a half hours by now, and Emma's feet were killing her.

"Uh Gai, you think we could stop? I'm getting kinda tired and-"

"Oh, of coarse! How foolish me not to notice! Here, have a seat!" Gai replied, picking Emma up bridal style and setting her on a nearby bench.

Emma sweat-dropped. "Umm…thanks?"

"It was my pleasure!" Gai smiled, setting himself awfully close to Emma. This was Gai's chance! He'd spent the whole afternoon getting to know Emma, and now he was going to ask her out on an official date! Pretending to stretch, Gai slipped his right arm around Emma's back, causing her tense-up immediately.

Uhh…what was he doing? Talk about a little to close for comfort! First he sits so close that he's practically on top of her, now he's trying to…trying to…Well, Emma didn't really know what Gai was trying to do, but it wasn't something she was comfortable with, she knew that! "Uh…Gai, I kinda have to meet this guy at a bar and-" Emma tried to explain, but was soon cut short.

"YOU'RE MEETING A GUY AT A BAR!" Gai cried, heartbroken. "WHO? WHERE!"

"Uh well, Chii told me that this guy Taku would let me-"

"CHII HOOKED YOU UP WITH TAKU? WHY WOULD SHE DO SUCH A THING? UNLESS, UNLESS TAKU INSISTED ON HAVING FOR HIMSELF SO THAT HE MAY-"

"Uhh...no. See I was supposed to go shopping and-"

"YOU WANTED TAKU TO TAKE YOU SHOPPING? WHAT FOR?"

Getting quite agitated, Emma tried to explain as best she could. "I wasn't supposed to go shopping with Taku, I was supposed to meet him at his bar after I-"

"AFTER YOU FINISHED YOUR SHOPPING?" Gai asked.

"Uh, yeah. See Chii wrote this list and-"

"CHII LEFT YOU A LIST FOR TAKU?"

"NO, she left the list for ME, so I could go shopping for-"

"SHE SENT YOU SHOPPING FOR TAKU? WHY WOULD TAKU NEED YOU TO DO HIS SHOPPING? HE USUALLY JUST HAS ONE OF HIS WORKERS GET HIS GROCERIES FOR HIM. UNLESS…UNLESS YOU WEREN'T SHOPPING FOR GROCERIES BUT WERE INSTEAD SHOPPING FOR SOMETHING HE DIDN'T WANT ANYONE TO KNOW ABOUT! SHOPPING FOR THINGS LIKE NAUGHTY PANTIES, OR HENTAI, OR-"

God, this guy was starting to piss Emma off royally! "For your information Taku offered me a job at his bar!" she screamed at the 'Green Beast', interrupting his rant.

"SO THE PANTIES WERE FOR YOU TO WEAR AT THE BAR WHILE YOU-?"

"NO! There were NO panties! Furthermore, I was _supposed_ to go shopping for GROCERIES and **couldn'**t because **you** _insisted_ on _lugging _me **_all around the stupid village_** so you could show me off like some type of **trophy wife**!"

"WIFE?" Gai bellowed. Maybe his chance with Emma wasn't as far-gone as he thought? "You mean to marry me! Oh, this is so unexpected! But then again, my youthful ways have always been irresistible to the ladies, so why wouldn't you want to marry me? Of coarse I will, I'll be happy to marry-"

"I don't want to marry you, you Jackass! All I want is to get the goddamned groceries and talk to Taku about that fuck'n job he offered me! Is that too much to ask?" Emma 'bitched' at him, a visible vein pulsating on her forehead.

By now their 'little conversation' had attracted the attention of everyone within ear-shot, including a certain masked Jounin, who was on his way home from a long day of training his students. "What seems to be the matter here?" Kakashi asked, placing his hand on Emma's shoulder.

"Kakashi, my eternal rival, I should've known you had something to do with Em-chan's sudden burst in anger!" Gai shouted. Now everything made sense! It was Kakashi who had angered the girl! Gai was sure to make him pay for that!

Kakashi looked at Gai, clueless as to the accusations he was making. "Who, me?"

That was it! Not only was this stupid fucker treating Emma like some type of prized show-dog, but now he was misplacing her rage on an innocent man! "For Christ sake, you stupid fuck!" she hissed. "HE is NOT what's pissing me off, what's pissing me off is YOU!"

Gai looked at Emma, half heart-broken, half confused. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"UGH! Weren't you listening to thing I said?" Emma screamed as she lunged for Gai, only to be pulled into Kakashi's firm grasp.

"Let me go, I'm gunna knock some sense into that thick, insinuating fucker!" she growled, trying unsuccessfully to break out of the grasp Kakashi held around her waist.

"Might I suggest, Gai, that you leave right now and let me take care of Miss Solinger?" Kakashi suggested. "Apparently you're not one of her favorite people right now, and I might be able to calm her down if you were to leave."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you Kakashi?" Gai shouted. "You want me to leave so that you can take Em-chan back to your place and have your way with her, isn't that right? Well I won't let a pervert like you disgrace such a youthful beauty! Unhand her and I shall teach you the errors of your immoral ways!"

By now Emma's rage had gone through the roof and she was set to kill! She was certain that if Kakashi hadn't had her pinned so tightly against his chest at the moment, she would instead be ripping out Gai's vocal cords right now. Just then one of the local shopkeepers, who'd been watching this spectacle with great interest, approached Gai.

"It would seem that Mr. Kakashi has no intention on hurting the girl in any way, Mr. Gai. However, it would also seem that the young miss doesn't wish to see you right now. I suggest that you do as Mr. Kakashi says, and leave at once." Agreeing with the man, the rest of the crowd began chanting and yelling at Gai to go away as well.

"Yeah, beat it!"

"Leave the poor girl alone, she doesn't want you!"

Reluctantly, Gai sighed in defeat and began walking off quite melancholy. "You have won this round, Kakashi!" he cried before fading into the horizon.

Still trying, yet not succeeding, in escaping from the Jounin's grasp, Emma demanded that she be let go. "No, I don't think I will." Kakashi smiled, turning Emma around and lifting her up so that he was carrying her over his shoulder.

"What do you think you're doing with me? Put me down, NOW!" Emma demanded as she pounded on Kakashi's back.

"Nope." he replied. "You're still too angry right now. Maybe if I take you back with me we can have a talk about how Gai managed to get on your bad side?"

After about five minutes of hitting Kakashi's back and demanding for her release, Emma had tired herself out and simply gave up her struggle. Ten minutes later and Emma found she had been carried all the back to the building in which she shared Chii's apartment in. "How do you know where I live?" she asked him.

Kakashi smiled slightly. "Because," he said in a cheeky voice, "I live down the hall." He did? Well, that was something new!

"Oh, okay. Then, umm…whose apartment are we going to?" Emma asked.

"Chii gave you an extra key, didn't she?" Kakashi asked.

"No shit, you think? I mean I'm only living with her now, why would she give me a key?" Emma replied, rather sarcastically.

Kakashi chuckled slightly at her response as he walked into the building and up the stairs. "May I have the key then?" he asked, stopping in front of Chii's door.

Emma furrowed her brow. "Why?"

"So I can open the door and take you in." he replied, in a 'matter of fact' tone.

"Oh, right." Emma blushed at the realization. "Well, it would help if you put me down., you know, so I can look?"

"Right." Kakashi smiled as her set her feet down on the floor.

"Thanks." Emma said as she reached into her pocket for the key, only to find that it wasn't in there. '_Oh yeah,'_ she thought, '_I was so busy running from Gai this mourning that I forgot to get the key! Oops!'_ Well, at least she wasn't in her towel anymore, she was grateful for that! Good thing the one nurse at the hospital was about the same size as Emma, otherwise she'd still be wearing the hospital gown they gave her! Unfortunately, that still didn't help with her current situation.

"I umm…I don't have it." Emma blushed.

Kakashi looked at her, confused. "What do you mean, you don't have it?"

"I mean, I don't have it!" Emma replied.

"How can you not have it? Didn't you take it with you when you left this morning?" Kakashi inquired.

"No, actually I didn't. I was a little too busy running away from Gai, who I thought was a burglar, to actually grab the key." Emma explained, blushing slightly.

Kakashi chuckled. "You thought Gai was a burglar?"

Emma blushed harder. "Well what would you think if a strange guy came up behind you when you were in nothing but a towel and-"

"What were you doing in a towel?" Kakashi asked, amused and yet intrigued.

"I just got out of the shower, jeez!" Emma growled. What was it with men making sexual accusations about her today? First Gai had all but implied that she was going to be some type of hooker/stripper for Taku, now Kakashi seemed to be joining in on falsely accusing her! '_MEN, JEEZE!' _

"I guess I'll have to take you to my place then." Kakashi stated, breaking Emma from her train of thought.

"Uh…that's okay." Emma responded, hesitant on spending the night in a strange man's apartment. "I'll just go and see the Hokage about my car and-"

Kakashi shook his head, obviously not accepting her proposal. "The Hokage already said that your car was no suitable place for you. So for the time being, at least for tonight that is, you'll be rooming with me." That said, Kakashi took a firm grip on Emma's wrist, and walked her over to his door. Then, unlocking the door, he opened it, motioning for Emma to enter.

Emma shook her head in defiance. "No, I couldn't. I mean how would it look if I-?"

"Don't worry," Kakashi smiled, "people may talk at first, but it isn't as if we'll be making any 'strange' noises."

"_Okay_…THAT was disgusting!" Emma replied, lips curled in disgust. "Anywho, I don't care what you say, it's gonna take a whole lot more then you and your slick moves to get me in there." Emma stated, fully intending to sleep outside if need be.

Kakashi smirked, "Suit yourself." And with that, he promptly picked Emma up in his arms and carried her into his apartment, closing the door behind him.

"Let go of me, now!" Emma demanded as Kakashi strode over to the couch, still holding her tightly in his arms.

"Okay." Kakashi smiled, dropping Emma on top the couch.

Falling onto the couch, Emma felt herself land on a hard object. Reaching under herself, she pulled out a bottle of hand cream. "Oh, NASTY!" she screamed, dropping the bottle immediately in disgust and watching as it landed next to a stack of pornos on the floor. Then realizing the full implications of what she'd found, Emma jumped off the couch. '_Note to self, don't touch ANYTHING!' _

Kakashi laughed nervously in slight shock at the current situation. He'd forgotten about leaving that bottle, and his 'adult graphic novels', there. It was kinda embarrassing to say the least. "Uh...heh-heh, sorry about that." Kakashi apologized, rubbing the back of his head.

Emma looked up at him, still fully disgusted. "Yeah well, I guess this just goes to prove my point. So if you don't mind…" she explained, making a bee-line towards the door.

"Uh-uh, I don't think so!" Kakashi chimed, grabbing Emma tightly around the waist and pulling her back closely to his chest.

Blushing madly at the position she was in, Emma grimaced slightly. "Well if you insist, I guess I have no choice but to sing."

Kakashi looked down at her, "Sing?"

Then, jabbing Kakashi in the stomach, Emma chanted "Solarplex…"

"Oof!" Kakashi gasped.

Stepping on his foot, she continued, "…Instep…"

Kakashi grimaced in pain. "Ouch!"

Then, back-fisting his nose, Emma chanted "…Nose…"

Ow, that hurt! So much so, that Kakashi loosed his grip on Emma. Emma, seeing her opening, then topped it off. Turning around to face Kakashi, she smirked before kneeing him where it counts. "…Groin!"

Bent over in pain, Kakashi wondered why he hadn't seen all of Emma's moves coming. He was one of the most skilled Jounins in the entire world, Sharingan Kakashi. Why then, hadn't he been able to stop her, a non-ninja? Seeing her chance to leave, Emma once again leapt at the chance, starting for the door.

"Oh no you don't!" Kakashi grimaced, grabbing at Emma's ankles and pulling her down.

"Ack!" Emma screamed as she fell to the floor, shortly after finding herself pinned by Kakashi.

"You know, if you'd prefer, I could always just immobilize you with some of my homemade stun-powder."

Emma's eyes bugged out at his statement. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Well, it's either that or having me spend the whole night on top of you." Realizing how that just sounded, Kakashi tried to clear things up. "…I mean, pinning you down…No! I, uhhh…"

A-heh, a-heh…talk about butterflies! Even though she barely knew the man, having him say such things, being this close, and on top of her to boot…!

"Well, you get the point. And incase you were wondering, I didn't mean anything by it."

Quickly regaining her self composure, Emma rolled herself over (while still under him), so that the two were now face to face. "Incase I was wondering what?" she smirked. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but I wasn't thinking about anything lewd if that's what you mean. That would imply that I was attracted you, and sadly for you, I'm less then impressed." Lucky for Kakashi he was wearing his mask; otherwise Emma would've certainly noticed the look of shock across the Jounin's face. '_Victory at last!'_ Emma thought cockily, taking his silence as proof that she'd won.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, that's it for my new and improved fic. How'd everyone like it? Is this better then the original, or should I just forget about all the changes and delete this? 


	3. Break'n the Habit

**A/N:** OMFG I'm SO SORRY for pissing you all off! I didn't mean any harm by this-I SWEAR! It's just that I got a lot of input on how to change things for the better, and well...I guess those of you who've read the note know what I'm talking about, or at least my reasons for doing so. In my personal opinion I liked the story the way it was, but from the reviews I got from several people it occurred to me that maybe I could, no-SHOULD do a better job and change several things. Hence all this.

I swear I was almost in tears when I read the reviews, I'd hoped everyone would actually like the changes. I know it may not seem like it, but I only did this so that the story would be worthy of loyal readers as yourselves. If everyone wants I'm willing to continue where I left off in the old version while simultaneously updating this new version. Or I could even dump this new version all together-assuming enough people think it for the best.

* * *

Just as she was about to ask Kakashi to get up off her, the door to the apartment flung open to reveal a rather large-busted and scantily clad woman. _'On the up side, she'll never drown because she has her own built-in flotation devices!'_ thought Emma sardonically.

"Kakashi-chan!" she cried, not taking notice of the two at her feet, "I heard a loud noise, is everything okay? You didn't hurt yourself, did you? Do you need any _physical_ help?" the woman giggled as she said those last words.

Emma's eyes virtually popped out of their sockets upon hearing this…this…'_UGH!'_ Emma thought, shuddering at the mere thought of what the woman's words implied. Meanwhile, Kakashi's face reddened slightly at the implications of their situation. In all the commotion caused by Emma, he'd completely forgotten about his nosy neighbor who had an obvious crush on him'_What was her name again?'_ he wondered to himself. Emma glared up at Kakashi.

"Oh, talk about gross!" she yelled, pushing Kakashi's chest in an attempt to get him off her.

"Huh? Who're you?" the woman screamed, her face taking on that of shock and horror as she just now taking notice of the two at her feet. "Kakashi, you jerk! What the hell do you think you're doing with this…this…SLUT!" she screamed, pulling him up by his collar.

'_Who the hell does SHE think she is, calling me a slut?'_ Emma thought, pulling herself up off the floor. _'I'm not the one dressed like 'Hooters Barbie' here!'_

"Gabby, it's not how it looks." Kakashi pleaded, not allowing Emma a rebuttal to the woman's insult. The woman bitch-smacked him across the face.

"My name's Shina!" she roared.

"Shina, yes, Shina!" Kakashi remarked, nervously scratching the back of his head. Emma grimaced at the two.

"I'll take this as my cue to leave." she stated, before being grabbed by her hair by Shina. "OW, FUCK!" Emma cried in pain.

"Oh-ho-ho! Don't think you can get away so easily, you tramp!" Shina cried, pulling Emma back by her hair and tossing her to the floor. Kakashi watched in horror as Emma landed on the floor with an "Oof!"

"Are you alright?" he asked, bending over and extending his hand to help her up. Emma winced in pain, feeling as though her head was in a vice.

"Been better." she commented, taking his hand and hoisting herself up. "Which is more then I can say for this bitch, if she even THINKS about touching me again!" Meanwhile, Shina looked at the two in shock and disgust.

"Please," she scoffed, "who'd wanna touch you?" For about the third or fourth time that day Kakashi found himself with a death grip around Emma's midsection, stopping her from attacking Shina.

"Kakashi, LET GO!" Emma growled, struggling in the Jounin's grasp. "I'm gunna teach _Bimbo Barbie_ over there a lesson, NEVER pick a fight with a bitch on the edge!"

"So you would choose this tramp, a little girl who barely looks like she's big enough for a training bra, over a voluptuous woman like me?" Shina screamed, puffing out her chest to further extenuate her large bosom. Kakashi looked at Shina in puzzlement before diverting his glance to Emma's chest.

"She looks great to me." he stated, shrugging.

'_What the…? Did he just say, what I think he said?'_ Emma thought, her shock apparent as she ceased her struggle.

"FINE!" Shina cried. "If you'd rather be with this wretch then me, then I'm gonna leave! And don't you bother ever talking to me again!" That said, she stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her. Kakashi watched in shock as the door slammed before his eyes.

'_Looks like I'll have some cleaning up to do, if I don't want the whole village thinking I tried to do anything to Emma.'_ The Jounin sighed. Just then Kakashi remembered that he still held Emma tightly to his chest. '_She smells kinda good.'_ He noted to himself, taking in a whiff of her hair and slightly tightening his grip to pull her closer. _'Kinda smells like…'_

"Uhh…ah-hem!" Emma stuttered, diverting Kakashi from his thoughts.

"Yeah?" he asked.

Emma blushed. "Well, uhh….you uhh….you still have me." Kakashi raised an eyebrow. Was she coming on to him?

"Emma, are you saying you want me?" he asked, smirking.

"WHAT?" Emma screamed, tensing up in his arms as her cheeks became even more crimson. "I just meant that you're still holding me!" Kakashi looked down, the girl was right.

"Oh, right!" he chuckled, releasing Emma from his grasp. Emma was relieved when he let her go. She was SO nervous that she could actually feel herself shaking as her heart raced. She'd better leave now before she collapses from embarrassment in front of him.

'_Boy, wouldn't THAT be fun!'_ What kind of excuse would she come up for that? '_Sorry for passing out on you like that, I guess I'm falling for you-LITERALLY!'_ Emma scoffed slightly to herself at the thought of actually saying that to him. Like she would ever say that to him! "Well, good night then!" Emma chimed as she grabbed the door handle.

When was this girl going to learn? Doesn't she ever give up? "How many times must I say this?" Kakashi asked, grabbing Emma's wrist tightly. "You're staying with me tonight, and that's final." Emma sighed in defeat.

"You're not gonna give up, are you?" she asked.

"No." was his reply.

"Fine, but if I'm gonna stay here you'll have to get me some clean sheets for the couch, and a sanitary pillow and blanket." Emma stated. Kakashi chuckled, blushing slightly under his mask.

"I'll try my best, but I haven't done my laundry in over two weeks now." What? He was busy! The life of a Jounin was hard work! And with the students he had, he was more then exhausted at the end of the day.

"Yuck, disgusting!" Emma spat in disgust.

"I guess you could always use my sleeping-bag. I haven't used it in a while, and I washed it the last time I did. Had to really, Naruto spilled ramen all over it." Kakashi reminisced, laughing as he remembered the sour look on his student's face as he spilled his beloved soup.

"You sure it's sanitary?" Emma asked wearily.

"I'm sure." Kakashi stated. Jeez! She finds one bottle of hand cream and a stack of porn, and all the sudden he's the horny teenager who can't control himself and jerks-off all over the furniture! Honestly!

Trying her hardest not to think about what her host normally did while on her make-shift bed for the night, Emma finally got to sleep around midnight. ****

BEEP! BEEP! 

Kakashi's alarm went off. **_Ugh_**. It was 9AM, and he'd told his students to meet him at 10. **_Sigh._** He would have to get up if he were to make it in time. Not that he ever did, but still…. After dragging himself out of bed, Kakashi began his morning exercises before heading toward the bathroom for a shower.

That's when he saw her, sleeping on his couch. She looked kinda adorable curled up in the sleeping bag, hair messed up from constant rolling in her sleep. He never had a visitor spend the night before. '_Of course there was that one time Obito visited, but he wasn't a girl.' _Kakashi reminisced, before realizing noticing Emma's stretching form on the couch.

Stretching, Emma yawned as she woke up from a rather lovely dream. She was dreaming about going out with Data from _Star Trek: The Next Generation_, a fave show of hers, when she was awoken suddenly by the feeling that she was being watched. What Emma found when she awoke shocked her to say the least. "Holy shit!" she cried, blushing furiously and pulling the sleeping bag over her face as she turned away from the sight before her.

'_Huh? Why is she-?'_ Kakashi wondered as to the reasoning behind Emma's sudden outburst, before realizing that he did in fact know why. "Oh, uh…I forgot you were here and I…" Kakashi blushed, rubbing his head as he tried to explain his current situation. "See, I sleep in the nude, well unless I'm on missions where I have to sleep with other people and/or outside, and …"

Emma nodded her head in understatement, still fully immersed beneath the covers. "Could you just…you know…?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, um…sure." he replied, stepping back into his room and pulling on a pair of boxers. _'Better wear this too.'_ he thought, remembering to finally put his mask back on.

"Okay, I'm dressed now." Kakashi chimed upon entering back into the living room.

Emma sighed in relief. "Good." she said, pulling the sleeping bag off of her face, a slight blush still apparent on her features.

"Anyways, I was on the way to take a shower and, well…you just looked so happy sleeping there that I…well…" Kakashi stated, finding himself a little lost for words.

"You uh, got anything to eat in here?" Emma asked in an attempt to lift the sudden uneasiness in the room. Kakashi blinked in slight confusion before he realized what she'd asked.

"Yeah, I think so." he replied. "The kitchen is over there, feel free to help yourself to whatever you want." Kakashi stated, gesturing toward the kitchen.

Emma nodded slightly. "Thanks. Want me to make you anything?"

"You don't have to." Kakashi smiled.

"You sure? Because I am a guest here and it could be my way of paying you back." Emma noted.

"Nah, that's okay." Kakashi stated. "Besides, the Hokage would be upset with me if I didn't help you in your time of need."

"Oh." Emma sighed, slightly distraught. She thought he did it out of friendship. She was new to this place, and having a friend or two would make her feel better about the situation. But apparently what he did was more for job security then actual human kindness and compassion.

Kakashi noticed the sudden sadness in her face. Had he said something wrong? "Is there something wrong?" he asked. Maybe he could fix things if she were to tell him what was wrong.

Emma shook her head. "No, that's alright. You just go take your shower and I'll have some breakfast, okay?" she stated, with a slight smile. He noticed that the smile she now wore was a forced one, and not truly sincere. However, he assumed that it was best to not push the subject, but rather let her tell him when she was ready.

"Okay, I will then." Kakashi smiled before stepping into the bathroom.

Stretching her aching body, Emma pulled herself to her feet and made her way to the kitchen. Upon opening the cupboards, she found all the boxes and cans were written in Japanese. How was she supposed to read THAT? Sure, she was currently teaching herself to read/write/speak Japanese, but she knew VERY little of the actual language. Lucky for her, most of the boxes had pictures on them. If Emma couldn't read the boxes, she could at least look at the pictures to determine what was in the boxes.

'_Noodles, noodles, more noodles, rice, and look-even more noodles!'_ Apparently Kakashi loved noodles. Maybe there was more food in the fridge? Opening the (fridge) door, she found: half a bottle of sake, a half-carton of what looked/smelled like milk, soy sauce, and what appeared to be a tube of athlete's foot cream. Talk about a selection! Looks like today's breakfast was gonna be rice with soy sauce. Not what one would normally have for breakfast, but it would do none the less.

Getting out of the shower, Kakashi dried himself off before wrapping the towel around his waist. Then, heading back to his room to change into a clean pair of clothes, he heard Emma's voice calling to him. "Breakfast is ready!" she reported. "I know you said not to bother, but I figured that since I AM eating your food, the least I could do would be to make some for you as well."

He smiled. "Be there in a minute! Just let me get dressed and then I'll come eat, okay?"

"Sure thing!" Emma called back. Setting the table, a sudden thought occurred to Emma. How was she going to get and take her medication? The effects would only last for a few more days and then she would fall back into her depression. '_Oh joy!'_ Emma thought sarcastically. Just what she wanted, to virtually be reduced to an emotional time bomb that could go off at the slightest misunderstanding, and at any time. If she didn't get her medication, or something similar to it, soon there would be no help for her.

"Smells good." Kakashi stated, breaking Emma from her thoughts.

"Oh, thanks." Emma replied, setting the food on the table and taking a seat.

Setting down, Kakashi took his chopsticks in his hand as he prepared to eat. "What's that?" he asked, pointing out the window.

"What's what?" Emma asked, looking outside only to find nothing of interest out there.

Kakashi shrugged as he sat his chopsticks on the table. "Guess it was nothing." Emma turned around, finding Kakashi's bowl, which was once completely filled, now suddenly empty. "That was a good meal." Kakashi stated, patting his stomach for emphasis.

"How did you…? When did you…?" Emma stuttered in total shock.

"How did I what?" Kakashi asked, getting up and placing his bowl in the sink.

Emma grimaced at the Jounin's attempt at ignorance. "You know damn well what I mean! How did you eat that already? What did you do, inhale it?"

Kakashi smiled at her disgruntled expression. "I guess I'm just a fast eater." he shrugged.

After finishing breakfast, Kakashi walked Emma to Genki to meet Taku. "Well, here's the place." Kakashi stated as he motioned toward the building in front of them.

Emma's jaw dropped as she took in the site of this magnificent place. Imagine, if you would, a NYC nightclub in the 1920's, but with obvious ninja influence. Kinda like P3 from _Charmed_ meets The Cocoa Bongo from _The Mask_. Then take that and add Feudal Japanese influence.

Outside the bar were two life-sized statues of Konoha's greatest ninjas from years past, erected upon tall pillars of stone. The entrance had a long awning, or semi roof made of fabric, sticking six feet out from the door, and about eight feet high. Above the awning, in neon lighting was the name of the bar-Genki. (Shown in Japanese, of course.) And below the awning was a red carpet that leads from the beginning of the awning, and ending at the door.

"Wow!" Emma gasped. "If it looks this pretty during the day, I can't wait to see it all lit-up at night!" Just then Emma felt a tap on the back of her shoulder. Turning around, she found a man carrying a rather large barrel or what appeared to be some type of alcohol. '_Wait a minute, where's Kakashi? He was just here a minute ago!'_ Emma thought, noticing the sudden absence of the silver-haired Jounin.

"Could you open the door, Miss?" the man asked, sticking his head around the corner of the barrel to look.

"Oh, sure!" she replied, opening the door swiftly for the man.

The man smiled. "Thanks, it's really heavy and-"****

CRASH! 

The man had fallen over the red carpet, sending the barrel flying, only for it to slam into Emma, knocking her over and pinning her to the ground. Lucky for her, the barrel didn't break, otherwise she'd be drenched in…Oops! Too late! "What the hell?" Emma screamed as the cork (from the barrel) popped out, hitting her in the face, and sending a gushing stream of red wine all over her. Standing up, the man grabbed the cork off the ground and reinserted it into the barrel.

"Sorry about that!" he said.

"Oh no, that's okay. It was a mistake, no biggie." Emma faked a smile, her eyebrow twitching. After taking the barrel off Emma, the man placed it down and offered Emma his hand. Taking it, she slowly pulled herself back up. "Thanks, Mr.?" Emma questioned.

"Oh, I'm Niota!" said the man. "My brother is Taku; this is his bar you know."

Emma nodded. "Yeah, I know. That's why I'm here, Chii said he might hire me as a waitress and…"

"Oh, so you're that girl Chii was talking about!" Niota asked.

"Uh…yeah." Emma smiled faintly. Niota nodded in understanding before turning to pick up the barrel again. "Here, I'll hold the door again for you, if you promise to watch where you're going. Okay?" Emma suggested.

Niota blushed in embarrassment slightly, before replying. "Sure thing, thanks." After making it into the building without tripping a second time, Niota told Emma to wait inside the door while he went to get Taku. "Be back in a minute!" he called, entering into a back room.

Emma did as she was instructed, taking in the inside decor while she waited. _'Wow, the inside looks even better!'_ Emma thought to herself. In keeping theme with the outside, the inside held the same motif, but was a bit more extravagant. There was a bar, of course, and at least 20-30 tables. Towards the back was a rather large dance floor with a stage in front.

"Ah so there you are!" called a man's voice from beside Emma. "I was beginning to think you'd blown me off."

Turning her attention toward the man, Emma shook her head. "No, I didn't. Sorry I wasn't here yesterday but I kinda got tied up and-"

Taku placed his index finger Emma's mouth to silence her. "In any even, you're here now, and that's what matters. Now, have you been a waitress before, or is this your first time?"

"Uh…it's my first time." Emma muttered.

"Uh-ha, I see." Taku responded, a thoughtful look on his face. "Then I'll have to get somebody to-" Just then Taku noticed Emma 's drenched and rather sticky appearance. "What happened to you?" he asked.

Emma blushed. "Niota dropped the barrel he was carrying and I-"

"Ah, I see." Taku interjected. "Here, let me fetch you some extra clothes from the back." he said, walking into the back room, then appearing again later with a change of clothes in his hands. "They might be a little too big, it's the chef's extra uniform. You can wear it till you get home though." Taku informed Emma, handing her the clothes.

"Thanks." Emma smiled shyly.

"No problem, change in the bathroom. They're right in the back there, you can't miss them." Emma nodded then went to change in the bathroom. After she came out she asked Taku where she was to place her dirty clothes. "Just put them by the door." he said. Emma did as she was told, then came back to talk with Taku again.

"Now, as I was saying." Taku commented. "I'll have to get somebody to train you. Hmm…how about…URUSAI!" Taku yelled the last part, calling for one of his many employees. Emma watched as the man known as Urusai came strolling out of the back room.

"Yes sire?" Urusai asked with a deep, and thoroughly uninterested, sigh.

'_Oh my God!'_ thought Emma as she looked at the man. _'This guy looks, and even sounds like, Jack from **Will and Grace**!'_ This thought made her smile slightly to herself.

"I want you to teach Emma here how to be a waitress." Taku ordered.

Urusai looked shocked and yet angered at Taku. "Oh but boss, this is my day off, remember? I only came here to get my money and-"

'_Oh God, he even pouts and flails his arms when he's upset, like Jack!'_

"I know, but it's her first day and she needs a little help. You can use this time training her as part of that overtime you've been wanting." Taku interjected.

'_And look! There's that dance he does where it looks like he really has to pee!'_ (**_Chuckle_**.) _'Where's a camera when you need one?'_

"But I already made plans for today and I-" Urusai pleaded.

Taku sighed deeply. "Okay, it's you're call. But don't come crying to me asking for any more overtime if you're gonna be acting like this."

"Yes sir." Urusai replied, casting an angry glare at Emma before walking out the door.

"Well, it looks like I'm gonna have to be the one to teach you." Taku stated. "Here, put this on and we'll start right away." He said, picking up an apron from behind the bar and tossing it to her. Wiping the smile off her face, Emma reached out to grab the apron, only to miss it completely as it landed on the floor. **_Sigh._** She always did catch like crap.

"Oops! Heh-heh…sorry about that." Emma blushed as she bent down, grabbing the apron and wrapping it around herself.

Taku laughed slightly. "No problem, don't worry about it. Now what do you say we practice our balance while carrying things?"****

Elsewhere in Konoha… 

"Where is he?" Naruto shouted, mad at how late his sensei was.

Sakura shrugged. "Where is he ever?" she sighed, though deep down she was just as angry. _'That no-good jerk, he's always late!'_ Just then came a "Yo." from behind her, causing everyone to jump. (Though one could barely notice Sasuke's because his was only slight.)

"Where were you Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto bellowed.

Kakashi scratched the back of his head. "Oh, sorry I'm late. I had to show this pretty girl around town because she's new here and…" (For once he actually has a good and believable excuse, wow!)

"Yeah right Kakashi-sensei, how dumb do you think we are?" screamed Naruto. At that Sakura slapped Naruto across the back of his head.

"You moron!" she scolded. "How dense are you? Don't you remember Em-chan?"

"Em-chan?" Naruto questioned, rubbing the lump that was now forming where Sakura had hit him. Sakura sighed heavily at the thickness that was Naruto's head.

"Remember, she was the woman we found from that crash two days ago?" Naruto blinked several times, trying his best to recall the incident.

"Oh yeah!" he cried. Kakashi chuckled slightly as he shook his head, wondering how someone could forget something so recently that easily.

"Idiot." mumbled Sasuke.

"What was that you asshole?" Naruto screeched, whipping his head around in Sasuke's direction. Kakashi sighed heavily.

"Now, now you two. Must I constantly remind you of how important teamwork is?"

"Tell that to Sasuke, he's the one who started it!" Naruto shouted.

"Don't go blaming everything on Sasuke-kun!" Sakura fumed, smacking Naruto across the lump on his head.

"Actually, Naruto is right for a change." Kakashi stated. Sasuke's eyes dilated slightly, in a mixture of shock and anger, as he turned toward his teacher.

"But Kakashi-sensei-!" Sakura cried. Kakashi shook his head at the girl.

"No matter how right he might've been, Sasuke did start everything by calling Naruto an idiot." he spoke, using his _'matter of fact'_ tone. Hearing this, Sasuke simply huffed, while Sakura sighed in defeat.

"See Sakura-chan, it's all that stupid Sasuke's fault!" Naruto beamed, oblivious to the implied insult made by his teacher.

"Don't call Sasuke stupid!" Sakura yelled, ready to hit Naruto.

"Calm down everyone!" Kakashi stated calmly, causing Sakura's hand to stop mid-air. "If you all don't calm down I'll have each of you write a five-thousand word essay on the importance of teamwork, instead of going on today's mission." Well needless to say, that stopped them!

"Sorry Kakashi-sensei." Naruto and Sakura sighed.

"Yeah, what they said." Sasuke humphed. Kakashi smiled.

"Good, now that everything's settled, we can start today's mission."****

Back to Emma … 

Within an hour or two Emma had pretty much all of her basic training down pat. The only thing that completely eluded her was balancing two trays at once, or one tray with only one hand. "I think we'll just stick with one tray and two hands for the time being." Taku stated. "Other wise I'd go out of business!" he joked.

Emma blushed. "You can take the cost of the dishes out of my pay, and I'll clean up all the food I've spilled."

"You must be psychic, because that's exactly what I was planning!" chuckled Taku. About fifteen-twenty minutes later Emma had finished cleaning up the mess she'd made. "If you want, you can go home now to change." Taku informed her. "I won't need you until five anyways."

"Uh yeah, sure!" Emma smiled. "Thanks a lot!" Placing the cleaning supplies she was using back where she'd gotten them, Emma grabbed her damp clothes and promptly left. '_Now, to find the nearest hospital…'_ she thought. If Emma was going to survive in this place, she had to be in tip-top condition, both physically and mentally.

"Umm…excuse me, Miss?" Emma asked a woman passing by. The woman turned around, a sour look on her face.

"What do YOU want?" she spat.

'_Ugh, what a bitch!'_ Emma thought. "Could you point me toward the nearest hospital, please?" Emma asked, plastering her best fake smile on her face. The woman sneered at Emma, as though contemplating on whether or not to answer her question, or to ignore her completely and walk off.

"Two blocks that way, then four blocks right." the woman stated, a menacing tone in her voice.

"Thank y-" Emma replied, before the woman turned around on her heels and marched away in the opposite direction. "-you." Emma finished her statement, slightly miffed at the woman's unnecessary rudeness.

After getting lost trying to find the hospital for half an hour, forty-five minutes of filling out release forms and other legal documents need by the hospital, and two and a half hours of waiting in the waiting room, Emma was finally called back into one of the examination rooms. '_I guess no matter where you are, doctors are the same!'_ Emma thought to herself as she sat down on the examination table, getting quite frustrated at how long she was forced to wait.

"Ah, so what happens to be the matter?" the doctor asked, finally entering the room after making Emma wait another twenty minutes.

"Well, you see…" Emma started, trying her best to restrain herself from yelling at how long she was forced to wait. "I have depression, and I kinda left my medication at home."

"Then why don't you go home and get it?" asked the doctor.

"Well I would if I could get home, but I can't." stated Emma.

The doctor looked at her questionably. "I don't understand." Taking a deep breath, Emma tried her best to think up a reasonable excuse the doctor would believe. After all, she herself found her sudden appearance in this strange land hard to believe.

"Well you see, my uh…my village was destroyed by enemy ninjas and…" Emma hoped he would believe her story. From the shocked and sympathetic look he was giving her, he obviously did.

"Oh my!" gasped the doctor. "How horrible that must be! You have my sincerest sympathy!" Emma nodded, trying her best not to smile at how easily she'd been able to think up an excuse he'd believe.

"Thank you, it's been really hard." She stated, doing her best to keep up the act. The doctor nodded in agreement.

"I believe it would be. My one nurse, Ms. Po, lost her aunt and uncle in a similar attack."

"Anyways," he continued, "I'm gonna have to ask you what type of prescription your other doctor prescribed. That way I might be able to give you the same, assuming that it did in fact work?"

Emma nodded. "Yeah, it did. She, my uhh…psychiatrist, had me take 200mg of Zoloft every night."

"I've never heard of that type of medication." The doctor stated. "But 200mg? You must be depressed!"

'_Heh-heh. Gee, thanks!'_ Emma thought sarcastically. "Well it um…it was her own creation. She was thinking about distributing it nationally, but that was before the attack."

The doctor nodded in understanding. "I see. Well, I'm sorry to say that I'm not a psychiatrist. However, my one friend is. Why don't you hold on and I'll get him for you." If he wasn't a psychiatrist, then why did he ask her about her prescription? And why did he say he could give her another one as well? Emma didn't understand this, and growled silently to herself while she waited.

It took another half hour until the second doctor, the actual psychiatrist, came in to see Emma. It seemed that God was testing her patience today, but Emma held in her anger so as not to throttle the man meant to help her. '_Good thing for him I need him, otherwise I'd go medieval on his ass!'_ Emma thought, thoroughly pissed by now.

What followed was a twenty minute session, in which the doctor tried his best to get Emma to tell him how she's been feeling and about her problems, etc., while Emma stubbornly refused to answer all his questions truthfully. '_If he thinks I'm gonna break down and tell him everything, then he is sadly mistaken!'_

Even in her own world, with her own psychiatrist, Emma refused to speak. Most of the time she insisted on having one of her parents in the room with her to speak on her behalf. It wasn't that she was trying to be rude, but rather that she refused to tell a complete stranger all her innermost feelings. Not even her family and/or closest friends knew EVERYTHING about her.

'_I guess I'm like **Batman** that way.'_ Emma thought jokingly to herself. Sighing at how stubborn his patient was being, the doctor finally decided to simply provide her with a prescription he hoped would work.

"I see. Well, let me just give you this, and we'll see how it works." he stated, scribbling down something on his pad. "I'll want to see you again in two weeks to see how things are going, and if this helps any." Emma nodded, thankful the annoying session was finally over.

"Thanks." After trying on her own for about half an hour to find a pharmacy, Emma ran into a man-LITERALLY! While turning a street corner, absentmindedly looking in the other direction for her destination, Emma collided into a man she'd yet to meet. (Iruka.)

"Are you alright Miss?" the man asked, quickly grabbing Emma's wrist to prevent her from falling.

"Uh…yeah, thanks!" Emma beamed.

The man smiled down at her. "You look kinda lost; can I be of any help?"

Emma smiled up at the kind man. "Oh, would you? I've been trying to find the local pharmacy, but I can't seem to find the damn thing!"

"The pharmacy?" asked the man, a shocked look on his face. "You don't seem to be sick to me. What could you possibly need from there?"

Emma smirked. "Well for one-I AM sick, in more ways then one. Second, I need to get this prescription filled." The man sweat-dropped at Emma's first statement. Then, regaining his composure, he motioned to take the paper from her hand.

"You mind?"

"Umm…no, here." Emma said, handing the man her prescription. After looking at the paper for a minute, the man redirected his attention back to Emma.

"But you could get all these things at the local market." he stated.

"Huh?" Emma questioned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, just look!" he stated, giving her back the slip of paper. Emma took the paper reluctantly. Looking at it, she couldn't make heads or tails of what was written on it. It did kinda look like a list, now that she thought about it. But everything looked as though it was written in Japanese.

"I, uhh…I can't read Japanese." Emma blushed.

The man looked at her dumbfounded. "You mean you're illiterate?"

"No, not really." She stated. "I can read perfectly well, but only in English."

English? What was that? Iruka didn't know, but he assumed it was some kind of foreign language he'd never heard of. "I see. Well, if you want, I can tell you what it says." he offered. Emma nodded happily, handing the kind man back the paper.

Taking a deep breath, he began to read the list. "It says: raw nuts, peanut butter, wild rice, beets, carrots, parsley, broccoli, papaya, cranberries, salmon, turkey, apples, oranges, cabbage, spinach, pineapples, cherries, eggs, honey, sugar cane, barley, avocados, olive oil, and green beans. To tell the truth, it looks more like a grocery list then a prescription to me."

Double blinking in confusion, Emma snatched up the list from the man. What kind of prescription was THIS? How the hell was she suppose to keep her depression in check with this…this…CRAP? "You've gotta be shit'n me!" she screamed. "What kind of QUACK prescribes THIS shit for depression!"

Iruka was in shock at the now hysterical woman in front of him. She looked as though she was on the edge of hyperventilating! "Umm…you okay, Miss?" he asked wearily.

"No I'm not fuck'n okay! Do I look okay to you?" Emma shouted, now drawing quite a lot of attention in her direction. Noticing this, Emma got even angrier. "What the hell do YOU fuckers thing you're looking at? Take a god-damned picture, it lasts longer!"

At a loss for words, Iruka did the first thing that came to his mind to calm down the furious woman. He'd seen it work several times on TV, maybe it'd work in real life?****

SMACK! 

Iruka bitch-smacked Emma across the face, attempting to subdue her anger. Well, it worked. After all, how was Emma supposed to continue her angry rant when she was rendered unconscious? Watching in slow-motion, Iruka watched in horror as Emma's body was sent flying, right into the path of a brick wall of the building across the street! Needless to say, he panicked! He hadn't meant to hit the woman THAT hard!

At the last possible minute, Emma's body collided with that of Kakashi as he walked right into her path. "Oof!" cried the Jounin, being knocked over by Emma's (seemingly) lifeless body.

"Kakashi-sensei!" cried Sakura and Naruto, rushing toward their ninja master, Sasuke following shortly behind.

"Thank God, you caught her!" Iruka beamed, running over as well.

Kakashi looked down at Emma's body lying in his lap. This was the second time he'd saved her life; it seemed to be developing into a pattern. "Um…Iruka," Kakashi asked his friend, "what happened?" Stopping to catch his breath, Iruka tried his best to explain.

After listening to his story, Kakashi glanced back down at Emma's body, which was now nestled gently in his arms. How had that happened? He didn't remember taking her into his arms, only her landing into his lap.

Sakura sighed, noticing herself the sight of Emma in her sensei's arms. _'How cute! Em-chan and Kakashi-sensei look so sweet together!'_ she squealed happily to herself. Everyone looked at her, wondering as to the reason the young ninja was acting so peculiar.

"Everything okay Sakura?" Iruka asked, slightly worried.

Sakura blinked, just now noticing the many eyes on her. "Oh, nothing!" she blushed. "I was just thinking about something, that's all!" The group of guys shrugged it off to it having to be something to do with Sakura being a girl. "But, don't you think we should take her to the hospital?" she asked, worried about her new friend's health.

"No, she doesn't look too bad." Iruka stated, examining the young woman once over. "From the looks of it she should only have a major headache and some bruising from where I hit her."

Kakashi nodded, agreeing with Iruka's diagnosis. "I'd better take her home to get some rest. Iruka, are you doing anything today?" he asked standing up, still holding Emma in his arms.

Iruka looked at his friend. "No, why?"

"Would you mind taking my group on their mission today?" the Jounin inquired.

"I guess so." Iruka shrugged. "Here, take this. It's the 'prescription' the doctor gave her today. Maybe you could buy everything for her, since now you have the day off."

Kakashi nodded as he grabbed the paper and pocketed it. Then, reaching into another pocket and pulling out a piece of folded-up paper, he handed the paper to Iruka. "Here's the mission, good luck." Kakashi smirked under his mask, before turning around and leaving for his apartment.

"Thanks." Iruka responded, taking the paper and reading the contents.

Oh THIS should be FUN! Team Seven's mission today was to look after an elderly couple, as their children (who they were living with) had to go on a mission today, and couldn't look after them. Iruka had mixed emotions about this. On the one hand it would be quite amusing to see how the group reacted to their mission. On the other, was it really a wise decision to leave the lives of two elderly people in the hands of Naruto?****

At Kakashi's Apartment… 

Gently placing Emma onto his couch, Kakashi walked into his bathroom. Here he opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out his first-aid kit. After tending to Emma's bruises and slight concussion, the Jounin reached into his pocket and pulled out the list Iruka had given him.

'_What kind of prescription is this?'_ he wondered.

Thinking back to Iruka's explanation, he couldn't recall him saying what this supposed 'prescription' was meant for. Shrugging, he picked up the phone and called the number on the paper. After spending forty-five minutes explaining why it was okay for the doctor to release Emma's medical file to him, Kakashi finally found out the reason behind the strange list.

"It is a list of natural dietary supplements intended to help Miss Solinger with her depression." the doctor explained to him, over the phone. Thanking the doctor for his help, Kakashi hung up the phone and stared down at Emma's sleeping form. Depression? Emma had depression? How could that be? She looked, and acted, like a normal and happy person to him. How could he not have noticed it? Maybe there was something he could do for her, to help her out?

Wondering to himself what could've happened to this girl to make her this way, Kakashi found himself rather close to Emma's face. In all his thinking and getting lost in his own thoughts, Kakashi hadn't noticed that he was slowly inching himself closer, trying to get a better look at her.

Blushing profusely, Kakashi pulled himself away from her as quickly as he could. Then, writing Emma a note, he left to get everything on the list. Maybe these 'dietary supplements' would actually help? Who knew? After all, he'd only just now found out about Emma's depression.

* * *

**A/N:** If you're still willing and up to it R/R, tell me what you think and how you wish for me to proceed. I'll make sure to check for your reviews. 


	4. Team Seven, Emma's Breakdown

**A/N:** I'm SO GLAD that everyone isn't uber pissed-off with me. I'm still sorry about everything though, just so you know. Also, this chapter would've been up a while ago but I've had a cold/flu for the past two weeks or so, so yeah...I'm feeling better now though, I even went to see the fifth _Harry Potter_ movie yesterday with my husband. Aside from the fact that I wanted to transport myself into the movie and open a can of whoop-ass on the fat F-er Head Minster and that prissy, pink Professor Umbridge, it rocked-as usual. (I laughed so hard when Umbridge got taken away by the centaurs, and I was like "Der!" when the Minister finally admitted that Voldemort was back.)

Anyways, I hope everybody likes this next chapter.

* * *

****

Back to Team 7… 

What had Iruka gotten himself into? Today was supposed to be a nice relaxing day off for him, one away from his normal duties as a teacher. What a wonderful day he had planned for himself! First he'd sleep in until ten, then he'd treat himself to a hearty breakfast. Maybe he could even get himself a date with that cute new waitress he'd had his eye on for the last two weeks.

Next he planned on buying himself the newest bestseller from the bookstore. It was supposed to be a really good action-adventure story, receiving rave reviews from all of Konoha's most renowned critics. Then he'd planned on visiting an old friend of his who he never got to see as much as he'd like to. Iruka had known Tenchi since he was eight, and Tenchi was eleven. Tenchi was always like a type of older brother to Iruka growing up, and often the two would play pranks on unsuspecting passersby.

Today was nothing like Iruka had planned. On his way to breakfast he'd unexpectedly ran into Konoha's newest resident. She seemed nice enough at first, that was until he'd tried to help her. He'd only read her a simple list, but then in a turn of fate she'd become a raving lunatic! What followed was a scene he was certain he'd not forget, even if he'd tried, for quite some time. The next thing he knew he'd accepted to do a favor for Kakashi, seeing as the Jounin now found himself with an urgent matter to take care of.

After being left with the children, Iruka explained what today's mission was. He figured it would be best to do so ahead of time so they (the students) wouldn't offend their "employers". It was a good thing he did too because the reactions he received were none to happy ones.

Sasuke, though it was hard to tell, was slightly offended and saw it as a waste of his skills. And much as he always seems to do when he's upset, Sasuke humphed in dissatisfaction and anger.

Sakura, seeming to read Sasuke's mind, whined a little about how lame a mission it was. "Shouldn't the couple get a nurse to do this, instead of using ninjas?" she pouted. Inside, however, she was reacting quite differently. _'How could the Hokage do this to us? Missions like this are an insult to Sasuke-kun and his superior abilities!'_

Meanwhile, not to anyone's surprise, Naruto was none too happy either. "You've gotta be kidding Iruka-sensei! Babysitting a couple of old farts isn't a mission for ninjas! How am I ever going to prove myself as future Hokage if all I get is lame missions like this?" Naruto whined.

"Calm down everybody, today's mission isn't all that bad. Learning how to take care of others is a good skill for any ninja to know. What if you were on a mission and one of your comrades was badly hurt? You'd have to know how to take care them, wouldn't you?" Iruka smiled.

"But we've already taken first-aid classes!" Naruto pointed out.

Iruka nodded. "Yes, you have. But first-aid is only one part of taking care of someone. Depending on hurt your comrade is, you may also have to help dress them, feed them, bathe them, and-"

"Clothe them? BATHE THEM?" Sakura and Naruto shouted, eyes bugging-out. Sasuke, though not reacting like his teammates, was also quite surprised at this.

Iruka sighed. "Yes, you may have to do those things in the future-BUT not today though. You're all still too young and immature to do such things. I'm sure we won't be asked to such things today. And even if we are, I'll do those things myself, okay?"

The once shocked children, now took on a look of great relief as they nodded in response. Thus leading us up to where he was now. Group seven and himself were only at the Masaki's house for not even half an hour now, and already things had gotten WAY out of hand.

After being given a list of what was expected of them by the young couple, and a short yet sweet goodbye between the couple and their parents, the team began their mission. First on the list of things to do today was to cook, then feed, the older couple their breakfast. Doesn't sound that hard to do, right? Unfortunately the fact of the matter was that it was far from that.

"We have to cook for them?" Naruto whined.

"Yes." Iruka replied. "Remember what I said about helping a fallen comrade?"

Scrunching his face while trying to remember, Naruto finally sighed in defeat as he recalled his sensei's words earlier. That settled, the next problem was to decide on what to cook for the couple. However, like many other things that day, that was something easier said then done. Mr. and Mrs. Masaki couldn't decide on something they both would want. He wanted soba noodles, she wanted miso soup. The couple argued with each other over what to eat for five minutes before Iruka suggested a solution.

"Why don't we cook you both what you want? Mr. Masaki, you can have your noodles. Mrs. Masaki, you too will have your soup. Is that okay with everyone?" Iruka asked. The couple thought it over for a minute before finally agreeing to the suggestion. Iruka smiled. "Good. Now, while we cook you your food, why don't you two relax and read today's paper?" he suggested, handing the couple the paper. Nodding in agreement, the couple took the paper. Well, more like Mr. Masaki took the paper while Mrs. Masaki reminded him that she wanted the local section.

"I knew that!" he replied quite annoyed, handing his wife her section of the paper.

Leaving the couple to their reading, Team 7 proceeded into the kitchen. Next they had to actually cook the food. Dividing the tasks between the three, Iruka handed out orders to each of his students. Sasuke was given the task of collecting all the ingredients, Sakura was to mix them, and Naruto had to boil the water.

Well boiling water wasn't Naruto's idea of an important task. So Iruka had to explain how learning how to boil water and cook food was actually an essential part of being a ninja. "Knowing how to cook one's own food is a need to know for all ninjas. Otherwise one might starve to death while out on missions. And the art of boiling water is the basic, yet most important, skill to know." Iruka explained.

Naruto looked at him skeptically. "But how hard is it to boil water! It's easy!" he whined.

Iruka shook his head. "Not so. If one doesn't pay close enough attention to the water they could accidentally loose track of it. Doing so could result in boiling all of the water away, wasting time and much needed water. The argument seemed enough to satisfy Naruto, as he finally quit complaining and did as he was told.

It was now some time later since they started their cooking, and the trouble was beginning to rise. For some odd reason Naruto thought it necessary to stir the boiling water. Plain stirring itself would've been no biggie really, but it seemed as though Naruto was in overdrive mode. Splashing the water, which was getting increasingly hotter, all over and onto his fellow teammates.

Iruka, seeing the mess, tried to stop his student. "Naruto please, if you must stir the water, do so gently? You're getting water everywhere and someone might fa-"****

CRASH! 

Poor Sakura. She'd been carrying the noodles over to Naruto to cook them in the boiling water, when she slipped in the water on the floor and went sliding into the adjacent wall, spilling the bowl of noodles.

"-all." Iruka sighed, finishing his sentence.

'_Idiot._' thought Sasuke, watching the scene from his post.

Sighing, Iruka reached out his hand towards Sakura to take. "You okay?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine…just a little sore though." replied Sakura, grabbing Iruka's hand and pulling herself up.

"Oh Sakura!" cried Naruto. "I didn't mean to get the floor all wet, believe it! I just got carried away and…" Naruto shut it when he saw the angry glare Sakura was giving him.

"Just help me pick up the noodles and wash them off, I think they're still salvageable." Sakura commented roughly. Inside though, she was far less considerate. '_Naruto is such a loser!'_ she thought to herself. _'I swear, if I get any bruises from this I'm gonna kick his ass!'_ Smiling bashfully, Naruto did as he was told and helped Sakura pick up the noodles, placing them back into the bowl.

"Good job Naruto, Sakura." Iruka commented, looking at each as he spoke their names. "Would you mind finding the mop and cleaning up the water, Naruto?" he asked.

"Sure thing, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto beamed, running for the closet he'd seen earlier. Not even five seconds after he'd left the kitchen, there came another****

CRASH! 

"Ouch, my hip!" cried the old man, as Naruto collided into him. Running into the living room, Iruka (and the other two) noticed both Naruto and Mr. Masaki sprawled out on the floor.

"What happened?" Iruka wondered.

"Well I was going to get the mop you wanted when-"****

WHAP! 

The old man bitch-smacked Naruto up-side his head, stopping him mid-sentence. "This young hooligan came running in and jumped me when I was trying to get to the bathroom!" Mr. Masaki growled.

"WHAT?" Naruto yelled. "You shut up, old man! You know nothing! Why would I wanna jump you?"****

WHAP! 

Once again, Mr. Masaki slapped Naruto up-side his head. "How should I know? I don't read minds! Not like there'd be anything for me read if I did, you'd have to have a mind first for me to read it!" Mr. Masaki spat.

Naruto grimaced. "What was that, you old fart?" he bellowed.

"You never learn, do you?" Sasuke mumbled.

"You shut up too, Sasuke!" Naruto screamed, angrily pointing his finger at him.

Hearing this got Sakura angry. "Don't talk to Sasuke like that!" she yelled. "It's not his fault you tried to attack the client!"

Iruka sighed heavily. "Now, now, let's all just settle down and-"

"Settle down?" cried Mr. Masaki. "How can I settle down when my hip is broken?"

Just then Mrs. Masaki spoke up. "Oh shut up, Yosho! You know damn well you have the body and stamina of a forty-five year-old, the doctor said so herself! So just you leave the poor boy alone, it was obviously an accident anyways!"

"Hush woman!" cried the old man, as his wife glared at him.

"The name's Achica, not woman, you half-less twit!" she scolded. "And if you keep up with that attitude, you'll be sleeping on the couch tonight!"

After five or so minutes of tedious arguing later, and Iruka had just about had enough. If he didn't calm everybody down soon, he was sure he'd go off. So first taking a deep sigh, and counting to ten, he was prepared to intervene. "Ahem!" Iruka cleared his throat to get attention, but it was to no avail. "Excuse me, everyone can you please just-I said, would you all just calm down so we can-we uhh…we gotta talk some things over and…" Damn! No matter how hard he'd tried to get their attention, Iruka wasn't being heard.

"Will everybody just please SHUT UP?" he yelled, now thoroughly pissed. On the up side, it worked. Everyone in the room had not stopped what they were doing/saying and looked right at him. On the down side, Iruka didn't have the slightest clue about what to say. Clearing his throat again, and regaining what little composure he had left, Iruka tried his best to come to an understanding. "As I was trying to say, we all have to calm down so we can talk things over." Iruka smiled halfheartedly.

Mr. Masaki growled. "Calm down! How can I calm down when-?"

"Shut your pie-hole Yosho!" Mrs. Masaki scolded. "Now, Mr. Iruka, you were saying?" she asked. Iruka's smile brightened as he took a deep sigh of gratitude. He'd been able to get through!

"Well first thing's first." Iruka stated. "Naruto, you apologize for running into Mr. Masaki and making him fall."

Naruto pouted. "Why should I apologize? It was an accident and-!"

"Just do it Naruto, please?" Iruka half pleaded, half demanded.

"Fine." Naruto spat. "I'm sorry for ACCIDENTALLY falling on you." he mumbled.

"Well, you should be!" Mr. Masaki retorted.

Mrs. Masaki glared at her husband. "Yosho, you behave! Now, I want you to apologize for hurting this nice young man, AND for accusing him of trying to purposely hurt you!" Mr. Masaki's eyes widened at what she'd just said. But then noticing the look he was being given right now, he conceded with her wishes.

"Oh…Okay! I'm sorry for hurting you, and for jumping to conclusions so quickly without giving you a chance to explain yourself." Mr. Masaki pouted.

Mrs. Masaki smiled hearing this. "Good, now, I do believe you nice young people have a list of chores to do today?"

"Oh yeah, we do!" Iruka chuckled, rubbing his head.

"Then might I suggest you check on the food? It's starting to smoke in the kitchen and-" Mrs. Masaki stated.

"Oh no, the noodles!" Sakura freaked, running back into the kitchen, followed shortly by the rest of her team.****

Back at Kakashi's Apartment… ****

CRASH! CLANG! SPLASH! 

"SHIT!"

'_What the hell…?'_ Emma thought, finally waking up to a rather loud commotion in the kitchen. "Ugh, talk about a headache!" she commented to herself, gently rubbing the side of her head. Then, straining to sit up, Emma felt a sudden surge or pain shoot down her spine. She cringed in pain as she took in a deep breath. '_Holy shit, that hurt!_' she grimaced, falling back into the sofa.

"How in the hell do women do this?" boomed Kakashi's voice from the kitchen.

Emma cocked an eyebrow. _'Well, THAT was a sexist comment!'_ she thought. "What's wrong?" she yelled.****

CLANG! SPLASH! THUD! 

What in God's name was Kakashi doing in that kitchen anyways? It sounded like WWIII up in there! "Oh, you're up?" Kakashi commented, walking out into the living room completely soaked and covered in various food particles.

"Uh…yeah, I am." Emma stated, sizing up the soaked Jounin.

Kakashi beamed. "Good, I'm glad. How are you feeling? After what happened today I'm sure you must be in quite a lot of pain."

"Yeah, I am." Emma replied. "How did I get here anyways? The last thing I remember was going to find a pharmacy and-"****

BANG! BANG! 

Emma was cut short by the sound of someone knocking on the door.

"Hold on a sec, okay?" Kakashi smiled.

Walking over to the door, Kakashi opened it only to find Shina standing in the hall outside. "Shina, how may I help you?" Kakashi asked, eyeing her up in confusion.

Cho giggled playfully as she played with a stray lock of her hair. "Oh no I'm Cho, Shina's twin, remember? Anyways I just wanted to say how sorry I am about what happened the other day. My sister told me what happened and I thought she behaved rather badly. Also, since I'm the cashier at Miroku's Adult Emporium and Bookstore, I thought I might drop by to see how you liked the newest book you bought from us?" she answered, her voice playful yet husky.

Emma rolled her eyes. '_Oh, get a room!'_

"Well I'm not quite done with it yet, but I like what I've seen so far." he stated plainly.

"Good, I'm glad." Cho laughed. "May I come in?"

"Uh sure, why not?" the silver-haired Jounin replied, welcoming her in.

Quickly surveying the room (kitchen), Cho turned around and leaned over towards Kakashi. Placing a stray finger on his chest, she then proceeded to '_feel her way around_'. "My Kakashi…" she whispered, "it's no wonder you have such a following. My sister was right, you certainly appear to be one of the fittest ninjas in the whole village."

Kakashi sighed heavily. It was true, he did have "a following", so to say. It wasn't like Sasuke's following-not every single girl around his age in Konoha had the hots for him. But there was a small group of about four or five women who insisted on making him their own. He even heard there was a hand full of members who lived outside the village. While it was a little nice to know he was wanted, his fan-club was little less then discrete about their feelings towards him and were quite a nuisance around the holidays.

Ugh! Emma thought she would wretch hearing this. Could this girl possibly be any more obvious? Emma was quite sure the woman didn't come here for the reason she provided, but rather for a more **intimate** reason. (Hint-Hint.) Just as Cho leant in to kiss him a pot of boiling soup exploded all over the room, sending the lid crashing into her head.****

SPLASH! WOOSH! CRASH! THUD! 

Emma laughed as she saw the woman's head meet the tiled floor through the doorway. Dear Lord God, could this get any funnier? "Oh my God!" Emma chuckled, trying her best to restrain her laughter. "Is she alright?"

Kakashi, still in shock at what just happened, turned the stove off then bent over to help the woman. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Cho moaned deeply. "Yeah, I just got a bit of a headache is all." she replied, taking his hand and standing up. Then, dusting herself off, Cho finally noticed the sounds of choked laughter coming from the living room. Wondering as to what, or who, was making that noise, she peered into the next room to find Emma laughing her ass off on the couch. '_So it WAS true! What Shina told the group was right! Kakashi is sleeping with another girl!'_ Infuriated, Cho slapped Kakashi across the face. "How DARE you!" she yelled.

Kakashi looked at the woman in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? WHAT'S WRONG? I'll tell you what's wrong-HER! She's what's wrong!" Cho shouted, pointing at Emma.

"Emma? What about her?" the Jounin asked.

Cho glared at him. "What do you mean 'what about her'? It's obvious you're sleeping with her! You two have only been together for at least two days now! When exactly were you planning on telling people this, huh?"

Emma's laughing stopped as she choked at the implications this woman was making. It didn't honestly look like what she'd described, did it? Sure Kakashi was cute and all, but he could never actually fall for someone like her! '_Could he? No! He couldn't. I mean, who in their right mind would? He could do SO much better then me! I could never possibly hope to meet or live up to the high standards he's used to in women. Just look at the girl, I could never DREAM of competing with someone who looks like her!'_

Meanwhile Kakashi himself was also shocked. Him and Emma? How could anybody think th-Oh wait. Never mind, he knew. It was now quite obvious how Cho had seemed to get the wrong impression. For a long time now Kakashi has held a reputation for being a "pervert". Sure he read 'adult graphic novels' and would 'entertain' himself every so often, but he was far from being a pervert!

"It's not what it looks like." Kakashi tried explaining. "She was hurt and-"

"I've had enough of your ridiculous stories Kakashi!" Cho screeched. "Everybody knows how bad a liar you are, so don't even try!" Then, turning towards Emma, she gave a menacing look. "And YOU'D better watch where you're going! I refuse to let a little girl like you get in the way of me and my man!" That said, Cho proceeded towards the door before barging out and slamming the door.

Emma just there, staring at the door for a minute. "Well," she stated calmly, "somebody has a major problem! Can we say **at-ti-tude**?"

Kakashi chuckled. "Yeah, I get that a lot."

"No, really? Hadn't noticed." Emma scoffed, causing the Jounin to chuckle again. "By the way she was talking you'd think she OWNED you or something!" she joked, rolling her eyes.

"Maybe she does." Kakashi shrugged.

Emma looked perplexed at this. "You mean, she's you're girlfriend?" she asked.

"No, no she isn't." he smiled. Then, noticing her look of confusion growing, he continued his explanation. "What I mean to say is, maybe she's told all the other girls in the village that I'm all hers."

"But you said you aren't, right?" Emma asked.

"No, I'm perfectly single." replied the silver-haired Jounin cocking an eyebrow, a small and interested smirk playing on his lips.

"So what you're trying to say is that she's marking her territory and trying to scare off all the other women?" she asked.

Kakashi nodded. "All of them do that."

Emma cocked an eyebrow. "All of who?" she pondered.

A slight blush rose on Kakashi's cheeks. "My fan club." he replied, slightly bashful.

Just then Emma smelt smoke coming from the kitchen. "Uh, Kakashi?" she interjected.

"Yeah?"

"I think something's burning."

"What?" he questioned, before sniffing the air himself. "Crap, the rice!" he shouted, running into the kitchen and dousing the burning grains under the running faucet.

"What were you cooking?" Emma asked, walking into the kitchen.

Kakashi sighed as he placed the pot back on the now unlit stove. "I was trying to make you dinner." he informed her.

Emma blink in confusion. "You did this…for me?" she asked, looking at the pot of burnt rice.

"Yeah well, you were hurt and all so…" Kakashi trailed off.

Emma furrowed her brow, slightly confused. "So then, you were worried about me?"

To tell the truth, he was. He didn't know why exactly, but he WAS worried about her. Kakashi guessed it was because she reminded him a lot of himself. Both seemed to put up a happy-go-lucky front, while meanwhile, deep down inside, they were both suffering. Glancing down quickly, Kakashi sighed slightly before recovering his cool. "It was no biggie." he smiled. "But since you're up now, and since I do make such a lousy cook, we can go out to eat."

"But I don't have any-" Emma started to explain, before being cut off by Kakashi.

"My treat." he stated.

Emma shrugged. "Why the hell not? I am kind hungry after all. And since you ARE offering to pay and all…"

Kakashi smiled. "Good, then it's settled. I'll wait here while you get ready."

"Get ready?" Emma questioned, looking down at herself. "But I'm already dressed."

"Yes, but you've been sleeping all afternoon and your hair is kinda messy." the Jounin chuckled, pointing to her head.

Emma blushed slightly. "Oh yeah, I forgot." she chuckled. "I'll be right back." Hurrying into the bathroom, Emma glanced at herself in the mirror. Kakashi was right, her hair DID look a mess. Oh well, no problem. Picking up her hairbrush and running it under the sink, Emma shook off the excess water before brushing her hair.

"Honestly!" she stated to herself, trying her best to tame her messy hair. "I look like a poodle with static cling!" Just then came a slight, husky chuckle from the doorway. Emma turned to see Kakashi standing there. "What's so funny?" she asked him.

"You are, **Miss Poodle**." he replied slyly.

"Ha-ha, VERY funny." Emma remarked, as sarcastic as ever.

Kakashi leaned against the doorframe. "Yeah, I know." he smiled.

Emma shook her head, then put down the hairbrush. "Ready." she told him.

"Not quite." he stated, walking over to her.

Emma looked at the Jounin wearily as he approached her. "What are you-?" she asked, watching him raise his hand level with her chest. "HEY!" she screamed, as Kakashi glided his palm over her right (**_A-HEM!_**)****

WHACK! 

"What the FUCK do you think you're doing?" Emma screamed, kicking the Jounin in his shin.

Kakashi winced slightly as he held up his hand. "You had some lint." he stated, showing her a small piece of lint in his palm.

Emma blinked in shock, gazing down at the piece of fuzz in his hand. "Oh, heh-heh." she laughed nervously. "Sorry about that. You know, the whole kicking you thing?"

"No problem." Kakashi replied as he shook his head. "It was a simple mistake. Anyone else would've done the same."

"Yeah well, I'm still sorry and all." Emma apologized, her cheeks a slight shade of crimson.

"So, uh…where are we going to eat?" Emma asked as Kakashi lead her through the streets of Konoha.

"We're going to Taku's place, _Genki_." he replied, turning the page in his book.

"Oh okay that sounds-SHIT!" Emma retorted, just now remembering something. "I totally forgot! I was supposed to start working tonight!"

Kakashi gave her an inquisitive look. "How's that?" he asked.

"Never mind that!" Emma blurted. "Just hurry up and take me to the bar before I get in trouble!"

"Okay then, hold on." Kakashi stated, picking Emma up bridal style as he quickly ran them to their destination.

"ACK! Holy shit Kakashi! What are you doiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing?" Emma screamed as the Jounin picked her up and raced through town.

"You said to hurry, so I'm hurrying." he smiled.

The ride Emma was being given now was kinda rough and bumpy, as Kakashi ran through the streets, dodging people as he went.

"Hurry d-doesn't mean to **_UGH_** to grab me and r-run, you id-idiot!" Emma scolded, still freaked by how fast he was going. "Now put me d-!"

"We're here." Kakashi beamed, putting Emma down outside the door to the bar.

"-own." Emma finished, double blinking n shock. "Uh…thanks?" she continued, noticing where she was.

Kakashi smiled. "No problem. Coming?" he asked, holding the door open for her.

"Oh yeah, sure." Emma replied, walking into the bar.

"There you are!" shouted Taku as he noticed her walking in. "Where were you? You're late!" he scolded.

"I'm sorry but I-" Emma began to explain.

Taku sighed. "Never mind, just get to work!"

"Uhh…yeah! Sure thing, Sir!" Emma answered, running towards the kitchen to get ready.

Her first day of work was horrible! No matter how hard she tried she couldn't keep up with everything. She'd gotten several orders wrong, broken several plates, accidentally lit her apron on fire, and even spilt food on a couple of the customers. With all the drunks barking orders at her, the relentless comments about how clumsy she was, and her now beer-stained clothing, it was everything Emma could do not to break down in the middle of the restaurant.

Emma 's thoughts were going wild, torn between wanting to cry and the urge to kick somebody's ass. All the annoying drunks made her want to throttle somebody, BADLY! And every time she made a mistake she felt lower then dirt. She'd thought being a waitress wouldn't be all that hard. Boy, was she wrong! What a fool she was to even think she could do this! Oh how she felt like crying, as her eyes glossed over with the tears she was doing her best to restrain. But no matter what, Emma had to maintain a look of professionalism. If she were to give in to her negative thoughts and emotions she'd be fired for sure! And Emma couldn't afford to loose this job, she had to be able to support herself if she was going to survive in this strange new place.

Twelve hours later and Emma was totally beat! Between seating people, taking orders, cleaning up the few dishes she broke, and trying not to throttle the couple of annoying customers she'd gotten, Emma was ready for bed. After everyone in the bar had left (the customers that is), Emma was left with her thoughts as she finished toweling-down the table tops and getting ready to leave. _'God, what a day! Not only was I late, but I was a complete wreck! I mean how STUPID was I to even THINK I could do this! I can't do this, no matter how hard I try!'_ **_SIGH._** _'I wish I was back home. Back where things weren't so crazy, where I had a job I COULD do.'_

"See you tomorrow around six, and don't be late!" Taku shouted as Emma left the bar, waving goodbye.

It was now six o'clock in the morning, and Emma had to find her own way home. '_You'd think he'd wait for me or something!"_ she commented to herself. _'Oh well,'_ she sighed, _'it's not as if he cares about me or anything to actually stay and walk me home. Besides, he probably has a big mission tomorrow that he needed to get ready for.'_

"Oh, who do you think you're kidding!" Emma muttered to herself. _'He probably just got tired of being in the same room as you! Why would anyone, let alone a guy like him, even want to walk a looser like you home?'_ _'You're ugly, stupid, and not worth any guy's time. No wonder you've never had a boyfriend! You're not worthy of having one! You're not worth loving, you ugly freak! Face it Emma, you're meant to die alone, alone and unloved. The sooner you learn to accept that, the sooner you can go on with your miserable excuse for an existence.'_

Emma sniffed, trying her best to restrain the tears that were now flowing freely from her eyes. _'It's not like it's your home anyways, you're just staying with him until Chii comes back.' **Sigh.**_ _'I bet I know why Chii hasn't returned yet, it's because of me. She probably can't stand having someone like me as a roommate. Just look at me, I'm nothing but an ugly, stupid, and worthless freak. I bet my family and friends back home don't even miss me!'_

Tears started streaming down Emma's cheeks even faster as she finally found her way back to Kakashi's place. Noticing the door was unlocked, she opened it and lied down on the couch. '_Kakashi must be in bed now, seeing as he left early and all.'_ Emma reasoned, pulling the covers over herself.

But alas, no matter how hard Emma tried, she couldn't get to sleep. All of her negative thoughts and emotions were filling her head, not allowing her a moment's rest. '_Everyone must be happy to have me gone.'_ she thought, letting out a defeated laugh_. 'I bet anything nobody misses me. They're probably throwing a party right now to celebrate!'_

Thinking about how bad her first day of work was, she started to cry even harder. _'I can't seem to do anything right!'_ she thought, slowly sitting up on the couch, wrapping her arms around her legs and crying into her chest. _'Whether it's at work or home, I always seem to mess things up!'_ Emma scoffed at herself. _'I bet if I were to die right now nobody would miss me. If anything Chii and Kakashi would be happy that they don't have to share their apartments with me anymore. And Taku could hire a waitress who actually knows what she's doing!'_

Meanwhile, Kakashi was also finding it hard to sleep. His friends' words were playing back in his head.****

(Flashback to after Kakashi took Emma to the bar, as he sat down with a group of his friends…) 

"So, she that new girl you told us about?" asked Asuma.

Kakashi nodded. "Yeah, that's' her." he stated, turning another page in his book.

"Looks kinda weird to me." Genma remarked, sizing her up.

Kurenai gave him a dirty look. "Be nice, Genma!" she commented.

Genma shrugged her off. "So anyways, what's here name?"

"Emma." Kakashi noted, looking up at his friend from his book. "Why you all so interested anyway?"

Asuma shrugged. "Dunno, I guess it's because she's new and all. So, where's she staying anyways?"

Kakashi sighed as he placed his book into his pocket. He knew his answer was sure to surprise them and lead to an annoying interrogation. "She was staying with Chii. But for now, she's with me." The silver-haired Jounin informed them.

"WHAT?" Raidô yelled, sitting himself next to Asuma.

"Oh, hi Raidô." Kakashi greeted.

Raidô gave him a cold look. "Don't try acting cool Kakashi! What do you mean she's staying with YOU?"

"Yeah Kakashi, why in hell would she do that? Does the Hokage know?" Kurenai interjected.

Kakashi nodded. "He knows, and he's fine with it. It's only temporary, until Chii gets back."

"So Kakashi, how good is she anyways?" Asuma asked, winking.****

WHACK! 

Kurenai bitch-smacked Asuma across the head.

"What was that for?" Asuma shouted.

"You know damn well what that was for, you pervert!" Kurenai yelled back.

Kakashi just chuckled. "It's not like that guys, she's just an acquaintance."

"An acquaintance, huh? Than why is she staying you, if that's all she is?" Raidô questioned.

"I told you, she has no where else to stay. So for the time being, she's staying with me. It's not like what you guys are implying at all. I only just met her the other day." stated Kakashi.

"But what about that one-night stand you had a few years ago?" Raidô pointed out.

Kakashi sighed. "Yeah, well, that was a long time ago okay? Tweleve years actualy. So please just drop it, will you?" The whole conversation pretty much continued like that for a while, until Gai walked in and told Kakashi the Hokage requested his attention. "Alright then, I'm coming." Kakashi said, getting up to go. "I'll see you guys later, okay?" he stated, waving goodbye.

Turns out the Hokage didn't know about Emma staying with Kakashi after all. Well, not until he'd overheard it from two interns at his office. (The interns were women who were in Kakashi's fan-club, so that's how they knew.) That was why he summoned Kakashi in the first place, to find out why Emma was staying with him. Kakashi explained everything to him, and how he figured Emma's staying with him would be best for her protection. The Hokage reluctantly agreed with his reasoning, Kakashi WAS one of Konoha's best ninjas.

"Okay, Emma may stay with you for the time being, until Chii gets back from her mission. But no funny business, got it?" the Hokage more demanded then asked.

"Yes Sir." Kakashi answered. Jeez, even the Hokage thought of Kakashi as a dirty pervert! How lovely was THAT?

* * *

**A/N:** Per the usual, please R/R. 


	5. Every Heart

**A/N:** Sorry fior this one taking SO long but I've been having some personal problems and what not lately, so I hope everyone forgives me.

I get to make a cake in the shape of hat for my 3D art class soon, I get use chocolate candies and stuff, so I'm looking forward to that. Also, I was wondering if I'm the only person who wigs-out when seeing a naked guy? Not my husband mind you, I can stand looking at him-which is a mericle in and of itself as I can't stand seeing anybody else naked. But my Intermediate Art teacher had us sketching naked people, male and female, and it bothered me so much I actually started to cry! I knew that I would have trouble doing it, but I didn't know I'd be THAT bad! So I left class and found my husband because I needed his support and advice on what to do. Long story short, the teacher was understanding about the whole thing so now I don't have to do it.

I've been getting into _Death Note_ ever since it started airing on Cartoon Network, Ryuk is so uber cool looking. I hope to one day own the entire series and both movies-both of which are live action. I've seen some pics of Ryuk in the live action movie on DA if anybody cares to know, and I even favorited (is that even a word?) them on my DA account-just a helpful hint for those who don't wish to search the entire site.

Nothing else much to say except that if anybody wishes to, I've got some new stuff posted up on my Deviant Art account, so check it out if you've got the time. Like this site, my name is superfreak330 on DA. I even have my first two prints EVER now! I also except request if anybody wants something made for them. (See my "Store" on DA for more details.)

Well, enough rambling for now. On with the fic!

* * *

**Back to now, in Kakashi's apartment…**

'_Do I really come off as perverted and whorish?'_ Kakashi pondered to himself. The conversation he'd had with his friends still fresh in his mind. '_Okay sure, I admit it, I like porn. But so what? It's not like it's my fault, I have needs!' **SIGH**. 'It's not like other men don't do it too. Anyways, it's not as if I'm a playboy or a rapist.'_ Besides, it's not as if Emma found him attractive anyways. After all, she didn't seem to show any of the obvious signs or-

Kakashi stopped, hearing the faint sound of someone crying. '_Is that Emma? Is she the one who's crying?'_ he wondered, concerned. So, getting out of his bed, Kakashi proceeded to the living room. There he found (what appeared to be) a half conscious Emma, crying herself to sleep.

In fact, Emma was crying SO hard she hadn't heard, or seen, Kakashi enter the room at all. He was wondering how long it'd be until her depression finally kicked-in. Now he knew. But what could he do to help? COULD he help for that matter? "Are you alright? Do you need to talk?" Kakashi asked, sitting down on the couch next to her.

The sudden realization of his presence shocked Emma as she jumped slightly in her seat. Oh GREAT! Emma had apparently woken him up with all her stupid crying! Now he probably hated her even more!

"Talk to me, please Emma?" Kakashi begged, pulling a few stray hairs that were in her face back behind her ears.

Emma tried her best to stiffen her emotions. "It's okay, you don't have to listen about me and my worthless life. And I'm sorry I woke you up too."

The Jounin shook his head. "No it's alright, I was already awake. And besides, why do you say your life is worthless?"

"Because it is! It's the truth!" Emma replied. "Now if you don't mind, would you please leave me alone right now?"

"No, I DO mind, I want to help." Kakashi smiled slightly at her. "Now come here and let's talk." he added, pulling Emma up next to him, his arm around her for support. Kakashi might've been trying to help Emma, but what he was doing wasn't making her feel too comfortable. If anything it made her slightly embarrassed. Embarrassed that she'd waken him up with her crying, and embarrassed about the fact he saw her cry.

"Emma please, look at me?" Kakashi pleaded, placing his hand under her chin and turning her face to meet his. He'd never seen anybody act like this before, and didn't really know what to do. Maybe it was the fact that he tried so much not to show, or even think about, his own emotions that he was unable to help someone else deal with theirs?

Though her face was now only inches from his, Emma refused to meet his gaze. Instead she prompted to glance down at the coffee table. "I-its nothing." she muttered, barely audible. "Really, you shouldn't bother yourself with trivial matters like mine."

Kakashi sighed. How was he supposed to help her when she refused to tell him what was bothering her? Even in this state Emma proved to be one of the most stubborn people he knew. "Well if it's so trivial then why are you crying?" the Jounin inquired. Nothing, no answer, just more sniffles. "Alright then, I wasn't feeling tired anyways." Kakashi stated, releasing his grip from Emma's chin, and encircling his arms around her waist.

Shocked to say the least, Emma flinched as he pulled her onto his lap while he lay-down on the couch under her. "What are you DOING?" Emma asked, her voice cracking as she tried to scream. Kakashi shrugged, pulling the blanket from the back of the couch on top of them (while still holding Emma with his other arm.)

"Well since I can't get any sleep in my room, and since you refuse to talk to me, I figure I might as well sleep out here with you and keep you company. That way you'll have my shoulder handy, should you decide to cry again." he smiled. '_Glad to see she's too busy freaking out about our position to cry anymore.'_ thought the silver-haired Jounin, repressing a smirk.

"Umm…thanks and all, but I really don't feel all that comfortable being atop of you and all." Emma stated, trying her best to escape from her current predicament.

The feeling of her body wiggling against him made Kakashi's body tingle slightly. He felt a slight warmth inside himself as her hands, which were on his naked chest, tried to push herself up off him. "Do I make you…uncomfortable?" he asked, slightly worried.

"Uh…yes, you uh…do." she answered shyly, just now realizing how futile her struggle was. Kakashi was a ninja. One of the best, so she'd heard. What chance did she have against a guy like him? '_Wait a minute…!'_ she thought, noticing something out of the ordinary. _'Is he actually not wearing that mask of his?'_

The silver rays from the crescent moon outside shone through the window above them, illuminating the Jounin's face from the middle of his nose and up. But even though she couldn't see his whole face, Emma could still make out what looked like a smirk. "Umm…uh…" Emma stuttered.

Kakashi chuckled. "Yes, what is it?" he asked, his tone playful.

"Are you not wearing your mask?" she asked.

Realizing just now how he'd indeed left his mask (and headband) on his nightstand, Kakashi was grateful for the lack of sufficient light in the room."…Oops! I mean, uh…I guess not." he replied, trying his best to keep cool.

"Oh." was her only response to him.

How much had she seen? Was she able to make out all of his face, or was he safe? "So, what do you think?" he asked her, slightly nervous.

Emma blinked in confusion. "About what?"

"About, you know…my uh…my face." Kakashi asked. Emma squinted her eyes. "I dunno, I can't tell. It's kinda hard for me to see in this light, and with my eyes still blurry from crying."

Kakashi didn't know wither to be happy or disappointed. Emma hadn't seen his face, so his identity was still a secret. But he kinda wanted to know what she thought about it/him. After all, only about a hand full of people have actually seen his face, not including himself. Kakashi smiled half-heartedly. "Good. Now, what do you say we get some sleep?"

"With me on top of you?" Emma questioned, slightly jittery.

"Sure, why not?" he asked.

"Won't it be uncomfortable?"

Kakashi shook his head. "I'm very comfy."

Heh-heh. Lovely! "What if I fall off? I do roll a lot." she noted.

"Don't worry, I won't let you fall." the Jounin smiled, gently tightening his hold around Emma's waist.

Emma sighed in defeat. "Fine, I guess it'll have to do." she muttered.

Kakashi smirked as Emma laid her head down on his chest sideways. "Good night." he whispered.

"Yeah, uh…good night." Emma replied.

Kakashi awoke the next day to the sight of tangled blonde locks across his chest. Smiling full heartedly, he push back the hair covering Emma's face. '_Still asleep.'_ he noted, sighing. It was kinda funny the effect this woman had on him. She prompted a type of tranquility within him. A tranquility that resulted in the Jounin's defenses being slightly lowered when he was in her presence.

'_I wonder what could've upset her so last night.'_ Kakashi wondered, remembering back to the events of the night before. _'She seemed perfectly fine when I left the club last night.'_ Wait a minute…the club! Maybe something had happened to Emma at the club after he left? What if somebody said something to her that upset her? '_I'll have to talk with Taku later.' _he thought. Just then there came a knock at his door, causing the Jounin to flinch slightly.

"Kakashi-sensei, you still here?" came Sakura's voice.

"Come in Sakura, the door's not locked." he replied, quickly sliding out from under Emma and into his bedroom before Sakura could open the door.

Stepping into her sensei's apartment, Sakura walked into the living room to find it vacant. '_Wait a minute…!'_ she thought, noticing Emma laying on the couch. _'What is Em-chan doing here?' _"Kakashi-sensei, where are you?" his student asked, puzzled at the absence of her teacher and Emma's sleeping form in his apartment. '_From the way he answered when I knocked, it sounded as if he was in the living room. But I can't see him anywhere!'_

"I'm right here." the Jounin answered, stepping out of his room fully dressed.

Sakura looked up at him as entered the room. "What is Em-chan doing your apartment sensei? I thought she was roommates with Chii-san."

Kakashi smiled slightly at her question. "She was, but Chii is on a mission now. So until she gets back, for the time being, Emma is staying with me."

"Oh." replied Sakura.

"Was there something you wanted Sakura?" he asked. He wasn't supposed to meet them today, it was holiday and so everyone was off. (It was **_Shodai no Dei_**, or "Founder's Day.")

"Oh, yes!" Sakura answered, remembering why she was here.

Kakashi grinned, slightly impatient at the girl. "And…?"

"Oh, umm…My mom took me to see my cousin today. She works for the Hokage, my cousin that is." Sakura rambled. "Anyways, while I was there the Hokage asked if I could tell you something. He says he wants to see you in his office right away!"

"Thank you, Sakura." he replied.

Sakura smiled at her teacher, happy that she carried out her mission so well." Do you want me to stay here with Em-chan while you're out?" she asked. "My mom and dad aren't expecting me back until dinner; they said I could go play with my friends until then. But I'd be more then happy to watch her until you get back."

Kakashi shrugged as he walked out the door. "If you want to, feel free."

Sakura smiled as she called out to him from the window, waving. "Happy Founder's Day Sensei!" Kakashi waved back as he headed off to see the Hokage.

**At the Hokage's Office, Fifteen minutes later…**

"So those are your orders, Kakashi." Sarutobi (the Hokage) instructed. Kakashi nodded as the others in his group bowed before leaving. Today it was up to Gai, Iruka, and Kakashi to save Chii from enemy hands.

"You ready, Kakashi?" Iruka asked as they exited the building.

The Jounin took out his book and opened it as he responded. "Yup."

"Even when he is faced with a dangerous mission, Kakashi STILL remains calm!" Gai stated. "It would seem Chii's safety means nothing to you, my eternal rival!" Iruka sweat-dropped and shook his head in mild annoyance, while Kakashi simply turned to the next page in his comic.

"Just because he doesn't show it doesn't mean he's not worried for her." Iruka told Gai. "Kakashi has always been one to hide his emotions, you should know that by now."

Gai grimaced slightly. "Of course I knew that!" he shouted. "It just, well…why must he insist on reading that filth when we're supposed to be rescuing Chii?"

"Just because I'm reading doesn't mean I'm not fully aware of my surroundings, Gai." Kakashi said in a monotone voice, not looking up from his book.

"Is that so?" Gai asked, going to punch Kakashi in the face.

"Yes." Kakashi replied, catching Gai's fist with one hand and pushing him back so he fell on the ground.

Gai blinked in confusion as landed on the cold ground. "I'll get you back for that!" he shouted, dusting himself off as he stood. "Just you wait Kakashi, I refuse to let you get the best of me!"

Iruka sighed heavily, placing a hand on Gai's shoulder. "Now then guys, let's not fight, okay? We're supposed to be a team. So please focus on the mission and leave your petty games for when we're done."

"Oh…okay, fine." Gai pouted. "I bet I can beat you to the gate though, Kakashi!" he smiled, running off towards the gate.

**Meanwhile, back to Kakashi's apartment…**

Emma awoke to the feeling of someone nudging her on her back. "Time to wake up, Em-chan!" Sakura beamed. "I made you breakfast!"

Yawning, Emma turned around and rubbed her eyes. "Thanks."

Sakura smiled. "No problem. Here, I made you rice, miso soup, and scrambled eggs. I hope you like it."

"Smells kinda good, I just might." Emma stated, sitting up on the couch.

"Well, what do you think? How is it?" Sakura asked as Emma tried the soup.

Emma smiled slightly. "It's really kinda good, considering what it is."

Sakura frowned. "You don't like it then?"

Emma shook her head. "No, it's not that. Your soup is good, honest. But I'm not use to eating miso soup where I come from. So I guess it'll just take some time before I get used to the taste and all."

"So this is the first time you've had miso soup then?"

"No, it's like the second." Emma replied.

"Oh, okay." Sakura smiled. "Then why don't you try the rice instead?"

"Sure thing. You got any soy sauce, butter, and salt for it though?"

Sakura shrugged. "I dunno, but I'll go look." she said, walking into the kitchen. Over all Emma had a good breakfast. The miso soup was okay, the rice kicked ass, and the eggs were light and fluffy. "I still can't believe you put ketchup on your eggs!" Sakura laughed, while she and Emma cleaned the dishes.

Emma smiled as she passed a plate to Sakura to dry off. "It's really good, you should try it sometime."

"Maybe, sometime. But not today." Sakura commented.

"So anyways, where's Kakashi?" Emma inquired.

"The Hokage wanted to talk to him about something."

"What about?"

Sakura shrugged. "I dunno, I was just the messenger. He didn't tell me anything."

"Oh, okay." Emma sighed. "Any idea when he'll be back though?"

"Nope." Sakura shook her head, placing the last of the dishes in the drying rack.

"Geese, you're a lot of help!" Emma replied sarcastically/jokingly.

Sakura pouted slightly. "What's THAT supposed to mean?" she demanded to know.

Emma laughed. "For God's sake Sakura, I was only joking!" she chuckled.

"Oh, then I guess you're forgiven." Sakura smiled.

"Uh…thanks?" Emma smiled, slightly confused. '_Geese Louise! She REALLY needs to learn how to loosen up and not take things so seriously all the time!'_

"Anyways," Sakura stated as she interrupted Emma's thoughts. "Today is Founder's Day in Konoha, and if you want you can help my mom and I get our booth ready."

Emma thought about it for a second. "Sounds cool. What you guys doing?"

"We're gonna make fried dough, rice balls, dumplings, and pudding. Then we're gonna sell Calpis, Match, Mitsuya Cider, Ramune, and Pocari Sweat to drink." answered Sakura. Emma dead-panned, she'd never even heard of half of the drinks before! Heh-heh, boy did she feel stupid!" Are you okay?" Sakura asked Emma, noticing the lost expression on her face.

Emma blinked in confusion before answering. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just don't know what half that shit is, that's all."

"Oh yeah, I forgot you're not from around here." Sakura remembered. "I guess that just means you'll have to try a little bit of everything to see if you like any of it."

"I guess so." Emma replied.

Sakura smiled. "Now that we've settled that, why don't we go and-"All the sudden Sakura stopped mid-sentence as a scratching sound came from the other side of the door. It seemed to be coming from the bottom of the door as well. Both girls looked at each other in shock, then turned back towards the door in fear and shock. What could've been making those scratching sounds?

"Hey, Kakashi, let me in!" came a voice from the other side of the door.

"Who-who's there?" Sakura asked cautiously, pulling out her shuriken.

"What do you mean, 'Who's there?' It's me, Pakkun, you jackass!" answered the voice.

Emma and Sakura glanced at each other sideways. "Who's Pakkun?" Emma whispered.

Sakura shrugged. "Beats me."

"Look, will you two quit whispering about me and just open the damn door already?" Pakkun asked agitated.

Emma glared at the door. "Why the hell should we?" she boomed.

Pakkun sighed. "Because I LIVE here!" he retorted.

"Prove it!" Emma shouted.

Ugh. This was getting ridiculous! _'Who the hell are these girls?'_ Pakkun wondered.

"Just get Kakashi, tell him it's me-Pakkun, he'll know who it is."

"We would, but Kakashi-sensei isn't home right now." Sakura answered.

_'Great! Go figure it to be two of Kakashi's idiot students!'_ Pakkun grimaced. "Look, if I was going to hurt you two do you honesty think I'd try the front door? For that matter, would I've knocked to signal my being here if those were my intentions?" Pakkun reasoned.

The girls sighed as they looked over at one-another. Pakkun, whoever he was, gave a pretty convincing argument. "Okay, fine." Emma huffed. "I'll open the door."

"About damn time!" Pakkun hollered.

"But-!" Emma grimaced. "Sakura, I still want you to be ready-just in case." Sakura nodded her head in understanding, watching Emma as she unlocked, then opened, the door. When Emma opened the door she was shocked to see nobody standing there. "What the…?" she wondered aloud.

"Yo, down here." Pakkun piped-up.

Looking down, Emma found what appeared to be a bulldog of sorts. Was this some sort of joke? "Ha-ha, very funny." Emma mocked as the small dog walked into the apartment.

"What's funny?" Sakura asked, watching the dog as it sat itself on the sofa.

"Apparently this Pakkun fellow decided to ditch us with his dog." Emma replied, closing the door behind her.

"Jeez, I guess they'll let any idiot become a ninja now a days!" the dog huffed.

"What the fuck?" Emma questioned, as Sakura began to scream her head off.

"Demon dog! Demon dog!" Sakura screamed, ready to attack the poor thing with her kunai.

Grabbing the freaked-out ninja, Emma took the kunai from Sakura's hand. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Emma exclaimed as she pocketed the kunai. "Calm down Sakura. Obviously this Pakkun guy thinks we're idiots. And in your case he might be right." Sakura was not amused by Emma's joke. "Anybody can see that this dog has some sort of remote transceiver hidden on him. Thus giving the illusion that it is talking, when in fact its Pakkun playing a trick on us." Emma surmised.

"Oh…!" Sakura sighed. "But why would some guy we've never met want to trick us?"

"For the love of God, I'M Pakkun!" the dog hollered.

Emma scoffed. "Wow, he even trained it to move its mouth when he talks. Impressive."

"You know what? Fine! If you two airheads don't believe me then just go ahead and call Gai, Iruka, or even the Hokage himself! They'll tell you that I'm real!"

"Fine! Maybe we will!" Emma yelled back.

"Wait a minute, why are you fighting with a dog?" Sakura asked.

"Never mind that, just get Iruka on the phone!" Emma ordered.

Sakura huffed in annoyance. "You do it!"

"I would, if I knew his number!"

"Like I do?"

"You should! You were his student after all!"

"So? That doesn't mean I know his number! Get a phonebook if you want it so bad!"

The dog (Pakkun) growled. "For the love of….Here-I'll dial his number!" he snapped, knocking the phone off the hook and dialing Iruka's number with his paws. Emma and Sakura watched in awe.

"Wow, he even trained it to dial the phone!" Emma stated in amazement. Scoffing, the dog rolled its eyes as the phone began to ring. "Pick up the phone. Pick up the phone. Pick up the Goddamned, stupid phone already Iruka!" Emma screamed at the receiver. After trying for a minute or so, Emma sighed in frustration as she finally put the phone back on its charger/stand. (What ever.)

"I take it Iruka-sensei wasn't home?" Sakura questioned.

Emma grimaced. "No shit Sherlock, what gave you THAT idea?" she snapped.

"Excuse me?" Sakura asked, slightly offended.

"Oh, never mind. It's the depression talking. Sorry." Emma smiled halfheartedly.

Sakura blinked in confusion. "You have depression Em-chan?" she asked, quite shocked. Crap! Emma didn't intend to tell her that. It just, well…I guess it just sort of came out. A heat of the moment type thing and what not.

Emma sighed heavily. "Yes, I have depression. And no, I don't want to talk about it right now. Okay?" Sakura nodded in understanding "Oh and, please don't go around telling people about it. The last thing I want or need right now is to be thought of as some pathetic pity case."

"Sure, no thing." Sakura smiled.

"Good." Emma smiled back. "Now to the bottom of this whole talking dog prank."

"It's not a prank!" the dog howled. "Frisk me if you want to. Hell, do a full body cavity search if you want! But trust me; I'm not a prank, a demon, or anything else like that!"

"I think he's telling the truth, Emma." Sakura stated.

Emma sighed heavily. "Fine, for the sake of argument let's just say the dog DOES talk." she scoffed. "How the hell did he do it then? I mean, I've never seen a talking dog before. Have you?"

"No." answered Sakura.

"Exactly. And why is that? Because dogs don't talk. They CAN'T! It's physically impossible!" Emma reasoned.

The dog (Pakkun) gave a long, low huff. "You ever think that most dogs don't talk because they don't like talking to idiotic humans like you?" The girls looked offended at his comment.

"Who the fuck you calling an idiot, you son of a bitch?" Emma hissed.

"You, you dumb-ass." the dog replied. "You're so ignorant and narrow minded in thinking that you know everything, that your mind isn't open to the truth, even when it's staring you right in the face." That was it! Now Emma was pissed!

"Come here you smart-ass bastard!" she yelled, lunging at the dog. Seeing her coming, he dodged her attack with little effort. Thus Emma landed face forward onto the couch, her head buried in the cushions.

Just then Sakura chuckled. "Do you have any idea how ridiculous you look right now?" she smiled, helping Emma up. "I mean, you're fighting with a dog!" Standing up, Emma let her anger towards the dog reside just enough that she began to laugh too. Sakura WAS right. It was ridiculous fighting with a dog.

"Yeah, I guess it is kinda funny." Emma smiled.

"Kinda…?" Sakura chuckled.

Emma smirked. "Okay, so it was freaking hilarious, alright? I already know how retarded I am-Hell, the whole universe does, it's that damn apparent! So I don't need to be reminded, little 'Miss State the Obvious'!" she laughed.

"Hey! I may state the obvious, but at least I don't go around fighting with dogs!" Sakura replied.

"Oh yeah?" asked Emma. "Well what do you call what you're doing now?"

"Huh?" questioned Sakura.

Emma smirked. "You said you don't fight with dogs. So why are you fighting with one now?"

"But I'm not, I'm talking with you." The pink-haired ninja replied.

**_SIGH._** _'She's so dense.'_ Emma thought. "I just implied that I'm a bitch. Get it?"

"Why would you do that?"

"Well for starters, it's true. Second, it's called a joke-like my life. I'm a living, breathing punch-line. You should get use to it if you intend on hanging around with me." Before Sakura could reply, the two girls heard the dog mumble something about 'Stupid girls' while walking into Kakashi's room.

"So what are we gonna do with him anyways?" Sakura asked.

Emma shrugged. "I dunno. The only thing we CAN do now is to just leave him alone. When Kakashi gets back from his mission we'll ask him about the dog, and Pakkun. 'Till then let's just keep an eye on him to be safe."

Sakura nodded in agreement. "Okay. Since that's all settled now, do you wanna come with me to my house? My mom just might an extra kimono for you to wear to the festival tonight."

"Why the hell not?" Emma smiled.

**Back to Kakashi, Iruka, and Gai…**

The first couple of hours went by with Gai continuously challenging Kakashi, to see who the better of the two was. Such challenges included: _Paper, Scissor, Rock_, racing, counting how many missions each had been on, and even seeing who could make the best gaseous sound (burps and/or farts). After which they all took a small break to eat and "freshen up", so to speak. During their meal Gai, of course, saw fit to challenge Kakashi once again. Only this time it was an eating contest, namely-who could eat the fastest. Needless to say, Kakashi was victorious in this one.

It'd now been several hours since the three had left the village and already the sun was beginning to set. Beautiful strands of gold and rouge flowed magically above as the day came to its end. "Iruka, hurry up." Kakashi ordered, noticing how his friend had stopped so abruptly.

"Huh?" Iruka asked, shaking his head so that to regain his senses. "Oh yeah…Coming!" he hollered back, running to catch up with the other two. The three traveled light and swift, jumping from tree top to tree top as the stars began to shine. However, the closer they got towards the enemy village, the darker and more sinister the forest became. Within two hours they'd found themselves at their assigned destination, Anei. As they neared the village they were soon ambushed by a group of Aneian ninjas. "Look out!" Iruka cried to his friends as a virtual hail of shuriken and kunai flew towards them.

"It would seem that we've got ourselves some lost little leafs." Came a mocking voice from amongst the trees. Then, without notice, each of the three Leaf nins were attacked by enemy ninjas. Kakashi had one, a large man with a goatee and ponytail. Gai had two, a red-headed girl wearing a kimono, and a teen boy who looked more like an ape then a human. And Iruka fought one wearing a rather evil looking mask.

"Is this all Konoha has to offer-a group of weak, wanna-be ninjas?" the man with the goatee laughed at Kakashi, sending him flying into a tree with his fist. Using the replacement jutsu at the last minute, Kakashi managed to avoid the man's punch. Thus after hitting the tree the fake Kakashi was replaced with a rotting log, while the real one round-house kicked his opponent's neck from behind.

Caught slightly off guard by Kakashi's attack, the man was sent forward into a tree. Afterwards he used his feet to kick himself off and into the air. At which point he dove towards Kakashi and grabbed him while upside-down (still in the air), and flipped him over onto the ground. Retaliating, Kakashi punched his opponent in the jaw while flipping him off into the air. Then, flipping himself back up, Kakashi reached into one of his vest pockets and readied his shoge, hitting the unknown man in the side of his waist as he tried to dodge the attack.

"Not bad." the guy smirked mockingly. "But why don't you try this on for size?" he smiled evilly, sending a giant shock wave towards the masked Jounin. Dodging Gai's punch, the girl picked him up in a fireman's carry and threw him at the boy. At which time the boy used several hand signals to send a bombardment of dark energy/chakra balls flying towards Gai.

"Spirit of dark energy jutsu!" yelled the boy. Quickly dodging the first couple of energy balls, one grazed the side of Gai's left leg, creating a four inch gash and sending him crashing into the ground. After which Gai rolled over to dodge as the girl dove towards him. Noticing how Gai dodged her attack, the girl motioned towards the boy who nodded his head in understanding. "Come on, Tien, let's show this ugly freak what real ninjas look like!" the girl smirked evilly. Picking himself back up, Gai watched as the boy dove at the girl, arms held out, as she caught him and spun around to catapult him into Gai.

Iruka, meanwhile, was having a rather tough time fighting the masked ninja as he was repeatedly hit with chakra infused punches. Each punch felt as though he was being hit with a fifty pound weight. After dodging his opponent's last attack, Iruka jumped onto a high tree branch and grabbed another above him. Swinging himself around the branch he was holding, Iruka used his built up speed and momentum to send himself soaring into his masked opponent, intending to kick him square in the face. Seeing Iruka's attack coming, the masked man grabbed Iruka's legs and flipped him onto the ground. As Iruka hit the ground there was a puff of smoke as his clone disappeared, letting the real Iruka sneak up behind the masked man, tripping him and attacking with kunai.

Moving at an inhuman speed, to any non-ninja onlooker it would seem as though the seven opponents were nothing more then streaks of blurred colors jumping from tree top to tree top. And as the seven fought they sent several barrages of kunai, shuriken, and kai/chakra attack sat one another. Fifteen to twenty minutes, and several excruciating wounds later, and the three Konoha ninjas were finally victorious. However their victory wasn't without loss. All three had sustained (somewhat-heavy) injuries and were in need of rest and first aid.

So, deciding to stop for a bit, the group rested as they tended to each other's wounds. However, being the devoted ninjas and friends that they were, they only allowed themselves two hours before they decided to pick things up and resume their mission. Stopping shortly in the woods outside the village, Gai, Iruka, and Kakashi surveyed the layout of the terrain and went over their mission specs for the final time. After which the three began their stealthy approach atop the roofs, and into the heart of Anei. Konoha and Anei had always had an unsteady alliance with each other. Though both were ninja villages, Konoha was one of peace, Anei one of war.

The only thing that kept the two villages from attacking one another was the Peace Treaty set forth by the second Hokage and the Yokoshima, the head/leader of Anei. In this treaty it was stated that in exchange of the Hokage's sister for the Yokoshima's daughter, there would be peace and open trade between the two villages. So then why, you might ask, did the Aneians capture Chii? Well to know that you'd first have to know why Chii was in Anei to begin with.

About a week ago, give or take, Chii was assigned a mission to oversee the transport of cargo to Anei. Part of this cargo was a highly treasured sword, a Matsume blade. The sword was a gift to current Yokoshima's fiftieth birthday from the Hokage. (A gift no doubt meant to help strengthen the treaty between the two villages.) While on route to Anei the sword, as well as over half of the cargo, was stolen by unknown ninjas. In the battle to stop the thieves the cart's driver was killed, and Chii was mortally injured. Quite literally dragging herself to Anei, Chii explained what happened to the Yokoshima and asked for aid. Being the un-trustful man he was, the Yokoshima saw this as some sort of elaborate scheme to rob him of his promised sword.

_("It would seem that the Hokage thinks me for a fool! He promised me the Matsume blade without any intent on carrying through with his word!"-the Yokoshima.)_

It was then that the Yokoshima sent a message to the Hokage. The form of which was Chii's headband, accompanied with a letter demanding the promised sword-or Chii's life. After receiving the letter the Hokage called for six of his top ninjas, split into two teams, to handle the matter. One team was sent to investigate the unknown ninjas and to find the whereabouts of the sword, the other to rescue Chii. Thus bringing us back to the matter at hand.

After surveying the village and checking their map, they spotted the main building belonging to the Yokoshima. If ever there were a more secured structure in this village, this was it. Surely this had to be the place where they were keeping Chii. Utilizing Attack Pattern Delta, the three ninjas used triangular positioning to sneak up on the main building from three sides. Gai from the side door, Iruka the ventilation shaft on the roof, and Kakashi from the manhole in the back.

After using two smoke bombs to distract the three guards at the side door, Gai knocked them out using a combination of shuriken and pressure points to the neck. Then, after hiding the guards behind some trees, he entered the building and hid amongst the shadows searching for Chii. As for Iruka, he had the pleasure of taking out six ninja's himself as he reached the roof. Then, gently removing the grader from the air shaft, Iruka climbed in as he too began his search for Chii.

Kakashi meanwhile had the fortunate task of climbing down a manhole and trudging through the sewer underneath until he came upon an opening (a sewer hole in the basement). "You get a look at that girl from Konoha?" came a voice from above him.

"Yeah. Filthy little wench, isn't she?" replied another. Gently lifting the lid of the sewer main, Kakashi slid through unnoticed and behind the two guards. (The voices who were talking.) Assessing the enemy before him, Kakashi noted that one was wielding a katana twice the size of a normal one. While it was an excellent example of craftsmanship, it posed little challenge to him. The other man appeared to be blind, as he wore his headband over both eyes. Kakashi had a feeling this would prove to be an interesting battle indeed. However, just as he was about to attack the guards from behind, the blind man sensed him.

"Hey, Ken, do you feel that?" the blind guard asked his friend, turning around towards Kakashi as the silver-haired Jounin jumped out of site.

Ken turned towards the direction the other man had noted. "What's wrong Kami?" he inquired, readying himself should an enemy attack.

"I thought felt some strange chakra." Kami stated, grimacing menacingly as he searched the room.

Calm, and yet a little scared, the scarecrow watched his prey in slight amusement. It was oddly entertaining to watch these two as they searched for him, oblivious to what fate had in store for them. What he found most entertaining though, was how the blind man moved. It was as though, despite his inability to see, he was somehow able to visualize his surroundings by sensing the individual chakra levels of everything in the room.

Waiting until the two were under him, Kakashi pounced upon the unsuspecting guards from his hiding place in the rafters above. Kami however, sensed the attack a split second before Kakashi hit him. So as Ken was sent flying into the stone floor, Kami dodged the Copy-cat Ninja's attack.

"It would appear that I was right, Ken." Kami smirked, turning towards his comrade. "Konoha did send someone after the whore after all. I believe you owe me 500 yen."

Picking himself up, Ken dusted off his clothing as he reached for his sword. "Yeah, yeah." he grimaced. Upon unsheathing his katana, he then charged head-on towards Kakashi. Dodging the attack with ease, Kakashi was slightly shocked when Kami grabbed him from behind. Pinning the Leaf Jounin against the wall, Kami twisted Kakashi's right hand back behind his head while holding his left against the wall firmly.

"You don't know what you've gotten yourself into." Kami smirked.

Kakashi chuckled. "I'm afraid it's you who doesn't know anything."

Furious, Kami jerked Kakashi from the wall and threw him at Ken. An evil glair in his eye, Ken plunged his sword into the scarecrow's stomach. At which time a puff of smoke appeared to revile a small, red mushroom with white spots where Kakashi should've been.

Just then about half a dozen shadow-clones of Kakashi appeared and attacked the two guards. Jab, block, upper kick, wrist block, palm-heel strike, chokehold, uppercut to the nose, elbow blow to the stomach, roundhouse kick to jaw, etc. Blow for blow, block for block, and all while avoiding Ken's cutting thrusts (of his sword), the shadow clones (and the real Kakashi) fought vigorously.

As for Gai, he'd managed to sneak himself far into the building with little resistance. '_I don't like this. Everything seems too easy.'_ he thought. _'Maybe it's a trap! It would be like these low-life cowards to something that underhanded and sneaky! First they imprison Chii, now this!'_ Gai was furious. _'I'll show these losers a thing or two! Yeah! They don't know who their messing with! I'm the great and powerful Gai! Ladies love me, men fear me!'_ he smiled at these thoughts as he stopped outside a heavily guarded room. '_I take it that's the room their hiding Chii in. And it would appear that I'm the first one to find it! That's one more victory for me, Kakashi!'_ Gai smiled triumphantly.

Meanwhile, Iruka had stealthily crawled through the virtual maze that was the ventilation system. A bit parched, and sweating slightly, he now found himself above the vent in the room where Chii was being held captive. In the room he noticed were three guards. Two standing watch at the door, while the other two implemented inhumane torture techniques on his friend in an attempt to pry information from her.

**Back in Konoha…**

"I don't know about this, Sakura." Emma whined as she emerged from the bathroom in a pink kimono.

"Nonsense!" Sakura smiled. "Pink is SO your color!"

Emma grimaced. "But I don't really like pink."

"What's wrong with pink?" Sakura grouched.

"Nothing!" Emma stated, giving a weak smile. "But don't you think black would be better? You know, to help slim me down a little?"

Sakura gave her a disappointed look. "Will you just shut up already? I told you before, and I mean it, you look gorgeous! Why can't you see that, Emma?"

Emma shook her head. "Because you're my friend, so your judgment is impaired."

"Oh for the love of…MOM!" Sakura yelled.

"Yes, dear?" Mrs. Haruno asked, popping her head into the doorway.

"Will you please tell Emma that, contrary to her disillusions, she does in fact look good-especially in the kimono I picked out for her!" Sakura half whined, half demanded.

Mrs. Haruno smiled as she stepped into her daughter's room where the two girls were changing. "You look like absolutely perfect, especially in that kimono." she beamed.

"See!" Sakura stated in an **_'I told you so'_** voice.

"Yeah well, she's just as delusional as you are." Emma said, sounding slightly cocky.

'_She's more annoying then Naruto!'_ Sakura thought to herself.

Groaning heavily, Sakura flung her hands into the air in defeat. "I give up!" she yelled. "Go ahead and lie to yourself about just how beautiful you are! See if I care! But one of these days you're gonna find the man of your dreams and you're gonna let him slip right by you because of your stupid depression and low self-esteem!" Sakura growled, waving a disappointed finger in Emma's face for emphasis.

"Jeez, looks like someone's PMS-ing!" Emma huffed, watching Sakura as she stormed out of the room.

"Oh, don't mind her." Mrs. Haruno smiled. "Sakura's just a little nervous about asking her little boyfriend Sasuke out to the fair tonight."

"MOTHER!" Sakura bellowed from the bottom of the stairs.

"What? You are." her mother smiled devilishly as she walked out of the room and to the top of the stairs.

"Well that doesn't mean you have to go around telling everyone!"

"Like it's a secret?" Emma smirked, walking into the hall.

Descending down the steps, Mrs. Haruno nodded in agreement. "See, even Emma knows about it, and she's only been her for a week or two."

"Really? It's that obvious?" Sakura asked, doing an emotional 180.

Mrs. Haruno smiled as Emma nodded her head. "Yep." she stated.

Sakura looked disappointed. "Oh." she sighed.

"But don't worry dear, any boy would be a fool not to like you." Sakura's mother smiled, hugging her daughter. "And Uchiha's aren't known for being foolish. He's probably just too nervous."

"You think so?" Sakura asked, glancing up hopefully. Mrs. Haruno nodded.

"And if not, you still have Lee and Naruto to fall back on." Emma chuckled. Mrs. Haruno dead-panned as Sakura turned red with fury.

"That's NOT funny!" Sakura yelled, running after Emma as she ran in fearful laughter.

* * *

**A/N:** Here are the Japanese translations for those who wish to know:

_Tama no enerugi-yami no jutsu-_Spirit of dark energy jutsu

_Gouka no te-C_hakra Infused Punches (attack)

_Jouyaku no Yasuragi-_Peace Treaty

The translations were in there before, but I moved them down here so as not to mess with the story's flow and what not. I trust that everyone likes all the changes I've been making so far. Well...except for maybe the name change, some people still like Emiri better, but other then that I hope everything is okay? FYI-I hope to post another chapter or two before Christmas, but if not, Happy Holidays everyone! As always, please R/R.


	6. Where's the Love?

**A/N:** I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season? Sorry I haven't updated in such a long time, but I've been busy with personal stuff (finals, holidays, family problems, etc.) and haven't had as much time as I would've liked to write more. I hope everyone understands and likes this chapter.

Thanks again to my beta reader valinorstwilight for all her hard work and loyal service, I've no idea where I'd be without you.

* * *

Tapping Gai lightly on the shoulder, Kakashi laughed slightly at his scared expression. "Kakashi, my eternal rival!" Gai exclaimed quietly. "You've bested me once again with your stealth tech-!" Kakashi cut Gai off by placing his hand over Gai's mouth. 

"Shhh…!" the Jounin hissed. "They might hear you." Half scared that they'd been heard, and half annoyed with Kakashi's silencing technique, Gai scowled as he nodded in understanding. "You take the guard on the right, and I'll get the one on the left." Kakashi informed Gai.

Gai grimaced. "Why do you get to decide?" he asked.

Kakashi sighed lightly. "Does it really matter who you get?"

"No, but still…" Gai whined.

"Fine, I'll take the right, you get the left. Okay?" Kakashi asked, slightly annoyed at Gai's childish behavior at the moment. Gai agreed reluctantly and quietly jumped his assigned target before he could warn the others. Kakashi got his target as well. After that the two Leaf nins disarmed the guards and tied them to the ceiling, blindfolded and gagged. But before the two could get into the room, another guard appeared to block their way.

"Going somewhere?" he asked the two.

"Indeed, we are." the silver haired Jounin answered, as Gai kicked the man in his throat. The guard made no attempt to stop Gai's attack, but instead he let himself get kicked. He smirked at Gai's reaction when he (Gai) realized he hadn't hurt the man at all.

'_He didn't move!'_ Gai thought astonishingly. _'He didn't even flinch! Why didn't he get hurt?'_

The guard also made an impression on Kakashi. _'Impressive, finally there's a worthy opponent in the whole place.'_ he smiled. _'Still, I don't like it. He doesn't look like a push-over, and we've got little time to rescue Chii. Best to hurry things up, for her sake.' _he grimaced.

"I'm sorry, was that supposed to hurt?" the guard mocked. Still in shock, and slightly annoyed/scared, Gai tried several more attacks. However, much like the fist attack, none of Gai's moves could neither move nor harm the man. After failing to hurt his opponent, Gai decided to use three of his shuriken in an attempt to pin him to the wall. Unfortunately the man was able to catch all three with his hands, after which he returned the favor to Gai ten fold. What kind of person was this guy? It was almost as if he were invincible!

Dodging the attack, one managed to cut Gai's left check as it flew by. After which Kakashi used his _**Earth Release: Inner Decapitation Technique**_ to pull the guard into the ground/floor, thus burying him from the neck down. "Not bad." the guard laughed. "But not good either." he smiled as he broke himself free, jumping into the air. "Enough foreplay, I'm getting bored." the guard yawned as he landed next to Gai. That said, he punched Gai so hard in his stomach he was sent flying 20 feet before finally hitting a wall.

Next he ran over to Kakashi, fist ready. Barely dodging the attack, Kakashi grabbed his arm and through him through the door. Needless to say, this alerted the four men in the room. All of whom, until now, had given no signs they'd heard/noticed what was happening in the hall.

"Get them!" yelled (what appeared to be) the head guard. As the guards went for Kakashi Iruka fell/jumped out of the vent, landing on the guard Kakashi threw through the door.

"Just in time for the fun." Kakashi joked, at odds with one of the guards. Iruka smiled half-heartedly as he jumped off the guard he landed on and fought another. Gai, who was semi-conscious in the hall until now, got up and ran in to join the fight.

"That's it, get 'em!" Chii cheered, glad to finally be rescued. "Kakashi look behind you! Gai, kick that guy in the jaw for me! Go Iruka, kick his ass!" she grunted out in slight pain. Jump kicking his opponent into a wall, Kakashi used his _**Body Flicker Technique**_ to disappear. Reappearing behind Chii, he then cut her bindings with a kunai. "Thanks." Chii smiled, struggling to get up only to have her knees buckle beneath her weight.

"Stay still, we'll get you out." Kakashi told her as he caught her. "Iruka will take you somewhere safe for now." he stated, motioning for Iruka. Nodding in agreement, Iruka kicked his opponent into another guard before running to grab Chii.

"Here, let me help you." Iruka smiled as he lifted Chii in his arms.

"Go-NOW!" Kakashi demanded. "Gai and I will finish them off while you escape." Iruka nodded before jumping through the (closed) window nearby, shattering the glass as he did so. Without noticing it, the first guard from the hall got back up, staggering. Silently stumbling over to Kakashi, he threw a kunai at the back of Kakashi's neck.

"Ugh!" Kakashi groaned as the kunai plunged itself into his neck. Then, taking advantage of Kakashi's distraction, the guard he was fighting jabbed him in the stomach. After which Kakashi punched him in the nose, while tossing a pouch of blinding powder (100x more powerful and painful then mace), sending the guard falling back onto the floor in pain. Turning around fast, Kakashi watched as Gai snuck up behind the hallway guard and used a neck pinch to render the man unconscious.

"Thanks." Kakashi smiled. "But let's go now before more come."

Gai reluctantly agreed. He would've liked to see which of the two of them could beat the most guards, but Iruka would need their help taking Chii back to the village. The rest of the ninjas in the village followed the group with swift attacks. As expected, Kakashi and Gai fought back, while staying safely close to Iruka and Chii, to help their friends escape. The Aneian ninjas fought viciously and with out mercy, pushing the two Leaf nins to the edge of their fighting capacity. All was not without hope though, for the two also did their fare share ass kicking.

Quite some time later the four managed to loose them by using Kakashi's Nin-dogs as a distraction. After which the three men took turns carrying Chii on their backs. (Gai of coarse insisted on a "Who can carry her the longest?" contest.)

**Meanwhile, In Konoha…**

All had been going well so far. The festival was living up to it's reputation for being one of the best of Konoha's holidays. There was music, games, lights, several plays reenacting great battles the shinobi of the village have fought, etc.

"Steady…steady…" Emma mumbled to herself, lining up the target with the kunai she was holding.

"You can do it Emma!" Sakura cheered from behind.

Emma smiled. "I highly doubt it, but I'll try." That said, she launched the kunai at the target.

_**WOOSH!**_

_**PLUNK!**_

_**SPLASH!**_

"Shit!" Emma pouted, her kunai missing the target completely and landing into a pan of fried dough. (The fried dough booth was just behind the kunai toss booth.)

"Holy shit…!" yelled the girl who was manning the fried dough station, as she was splashed by boiling oil.

Emma gave a guilty/apologetic smile to her. "Heh, sorry!" she yelled.

Sakura dead-panned before bursting into hysterics. "Nice aim!" she laughed.

"Shut up, bitch." Emma half grimaced, half smirked.

"Whatever." Sakura responded, slowly calming down. "Let's get back to Mom now, our break is over." she said, walking back towards their booth.

Emma sighed as she jogged to catch up with her. "Yeah, I kno-" she replied, getting cut off by the sounds of fireworks.

_**BOOM!**_

_**CRACK!**_

_**CRASH!**_

"Oooooo…!" Everybody stared in awe at the flowers of sparkling lights lit the sky above.

"I wish Sasuke was here to share this moment with me." Sakura sighed.

Emma shook her head. _'This girl never gives up!'_ she thought.

_**WOOSH!**_ All the sudden a blue and black object streaked past the two girls, shocking them both. "What the fuck was THAT?" Emma asked.

"It looked like Sasuke!" Sakura smiled.

Emma looked puzzled. "But how could you…? Wait, ninja…right…!" she nodded in understanding.

"I wonder where he was go-" Sakura pondered before gasping.

"What? What is it?" Emma asked.

"Look over there, there's smoke coming from the Hokage's office!" Sakura pointed out in the direction Sasuke went. Emma looked where she was told. Sure enough Sakura was right, there was smoke coming from the building!

_**WOOSH!**_

_**WOOSH!**_

_**WOOSH!**_

Three more figures ran past the girls towards the Hokage's office. One of which almost knocked Emma down. Luckily Sakura broke her fall, literally! "UGH! Get off me!" Sakura yelled.

"Oh, sorry about that." Emma smiled as she got up.

"I wonder what's going on?" Sakura asked thoughtfully as she too stood back up.

Emma shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe it's a fi-"

"Sakura! There you two are!" Mr. Haruno yelled as he ran over towards the girls.

"Dad, what's going on?" Sakura questioned. Mr. Haruno shook his head as he took the girls by the hand and walked them through the now flustered crowd.

"We don't know yet. Which is why I need you girls to run home with your mother while I go help." He stated. Following his instructions, the girls met up with Sakura's mother and went back to the Haruno household. Five minutes later there came a nock at the door.

"Sakura! Are you there? It's me, Naruto!" came the boy's voice from outside.

"Ugh! What does HE want?" Sakura grimaced as she went to open the door. (Emma and Mrs. Haruno were sitting on the couch and going over the evacuation plan while she did so.) Naruto beamed as Sakura opened the door. "What do YOU want?" Sakura sneered.

"Now, Sakura, don't be so rude!" Mrs. Haruno scolded as she walked over to the door. "Why don't you come in here where it's safe?" she asked Naruto. The blonde boy smiled and nodded as he stepped into the house, causing Sakura to sigh heavily as her mother shut the door.

"So, what did you want?" Emma asked.

"I wanted to see if Sakura was okay, and if she'd like to help me beat the enemy ninjas." he responded. Emma and Mrs. Haruno looked slightly confused at Naruto upon hearing what he said.

"Enemy ninjas?" Mrs. Haruno asked. "That explains all the smoke we saw."

"That must be where Sasuke is! Can I go Mom, can I?" Sakura pleaded.

Naruto grimaced. _'Why's Sakura so concerned about Sasuke all the time! It's not he's the one who asked her to come!'_

Mrs. Haruno shook her head. "Your father said to stay here, remember?"

Sakura huffed. "I know. But Sasuke could be in danger! He might need our help!"

"I'm sure the Hokage has all his ninjas working on this. Sasuke should be fine." Mrs. H smiled.

"But that's just it, the Hokage doesn't have ALL his ninjas working on it!" Sakura argued. "I'm a ninja now too, remember? And I have the right to protect my village!"

"Oh, alright." Mrs. Haruno sighed. "But be careful. The first sign of trouble and you get out, okay?"

"Got it." Sakura smiled, hugging her mom before leaving with Naruto.

"Would you mind keeping an eye on them for me?" Mrs. Haruno asked Emma as soon as the two were alone.

"Me? Watch them?" Emma exasperated. "They're ninjas, I'm not!"

Mrs. Haruno smiled. "I know dear, but I would make me feel better if you did."

"I'd love to b-"

"Good!" Mrs. H interrupted. "I knew I could trust you!" she beamed as she pushed Emma out the door.

Emma sweat-dropped. "But I can't fight ninjas!" she screamed, pounding on the door to Sakura's house. "That's why the Hokage assigned Chii and Kakashi to look after me! Remember?" It was no use, no matter how hard Emma would pound or kick the door Mrs. Haruno refused to answer. Sighing heavily, Emma decided to head back to Kakashi's place, where she would be safe…hopefully. It took Emma about half an hour to finally make it to Kakashi's place, what with all the commotion outside. When she finally did get there she noticed a small brown package in front of the door.

"What's this?" she wondered, picking it up. Deciding to give it to Kakashi hen he got back, she walked into the apartment and placed the package on the kitchen table. After which she ran into Kakashi's bedroom to hid under the bed. "What the…?" she yelled, finding a surprise under the bed. Oh God, this was too much! Not only did Kakashi like hentai, but he apparently had several porno movies under his bed as well!

"Hey, what are you doing under there?" came a gruff voice from behind her.

"Holy shit…!" Emma yelled, startled.

_**THUD!**_

"Fuck!" Emma yelled as she hit her head against the bottom of the bed. Ducking back down and crawling out from under the bed, Emma turned around to find the pug from earlier.

"Are you deaf, or just stupid?" he asked.

"Neither." Emma grimaced, rubbing the bump on her head.

"Then answer me." he demanded. "What are you doing under Kakashi's bed?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm hiding!" she answered.

Pakkun laughed. "Not the brave type, are we?" he mocked.

"No, not really." Emma replied, wondering why she was talking to a dog. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm no ninja."

"I know, but that doesn't mean you should hide under his bed."

"Well, where else am I gunna hide?"

"The closet, for one." he stated. "It's much cleaner.

Emma cocked an eyebrow. "Really?"

Pakkun nodded. "Yep. Just a bunch of clothes and stuff." Curious, Emma walked over to the closet and opened it. Sure enough there were several sets of clothing, all of which were in a huge pile on the floor. Meanwhile on the closet wall hung a virtual collage of weaponry and scrolls a ninja might use.

"Wow, cool." She awed. "But I think you'll have to move all the dirty clothes first."

"Me?" Pakkun asked.

"Well, the closet was your idea." Emma stated in a sing-song voice.

Pakkun huffed. "Forget it, hide under the bed then."

"No thank you." Emma sneered, looking at the bed. "How about I just borrow some ninja stars and-OH! That sword looks kick-ass!"

"I thought you didn't know how to use those."

"Just because I'm not a ninja doesn't mean I'm stupid! I do watch anime and action movies you know."

"Whatever, but if you get hurt don't come crying to me."

"I won't. Besides, I don't intend on actually going out to fight, I just want to be prepared in case somebody decides to stop by. Is that so ba-?" Emma was cut short by the sound of footsteps outside the bedroom. Freezing where she was, Emma felt her heart race as sweat streamed down her brow. Thoughts of her impending doom crept into her as her subconscious screamed for her to run and hide.

The floor outside the door squeaked once again, causing Emma to turn around slowly. As she did so she heard more sounds, swift and eerie sounds. And though many fearful thoughts were swelling through her head, making it almost impossible for her to concentrate, Emma thought she heard more then one set of feet outside the room. As her eyes finally fell upon the door Emma froze in fear. There, standing in the door way, was a rather large and terrifying ninja. His face was covered, much like Kakashi's. All that Emma could see were his eyes which were beady and seemed to glow an eerie red.

'_Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God…!'_ Nervous as hell, and fearful for her life, Emma turned around to grab a shuriken and (turned back around as she) tossed it towards the doorway, closing her eyes in fear.

_**SWOOSH!**_

_**THUD!**_

The ninja in the door way fell face-forward into the room, prompting an ear-piercing and horror filled cry from Emma. Eyes still closed, she then grabbed around for more shuriken and tossed one blindly towards the door.

"Emma, you all ri-?" came Sakura's voice as she walked into the bedroom. Lucky for Sakura Emma is a bad shot. The shuriken she (Emma) threw, which was meant for the doorway, instead plunged itself into the wall a foot from the door, just below the one she'd thrown earlier. "What the hell…?" cried Sakura, gazing at the shuriken Emma threw.

"Huh?" Emma mumbled, finally opening her eyes. "Sakura?" she questioned in amazement. Taking her gaze from the weapon protruding from the wall, Sakura turned around to face her friend.

"Emma, I thought you were with Mom?" she stated, confused.

"I was, but then she told me to follow you, and I wanted to…kinda…but, I…well…I was scared." Emma stuttered, trying her best to explain.

"Sakura, I thought I heard somebody sc-!" Naruto yelled as he ran into the room, Sasuke following suit. "Oh, hi Emma!" he (Naruto) beamed. Emma smiled back faintly.

"Anyway…" Sakura interrupted. "I think that was the last of the enemy ninjas still left in the village."

"Thank God!" Emma exasperated happily. Naruto nodded in agreement as Sasuke just _'Humph'_ed his reply.

"Don't you think you should tell her, Sakura?" Sasuke asked gruffly.

"Oh, yeah." Sakura replied, downtrodden.

Emma cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "Tell me what?" she asked.

"Well…" Sakura began.

"They took your car!" Naruto shouted.

Emma's jaw dropped hearing this. "They WHAT?" she shouted.

"Naruto!" Sakura scolded, slapping the blond-haired boy up-side his head.

"OW! What was that for, Sakura?" Naruto yelped.

"You can be so un-tactful!" Sakura yelled.

"What?" Naruto questioned, dumbfounded.

Sasuke grimaced. "She means you're an idiot, looser." he huffed.

"Don't call me an idiot, asshole!" Naruto yelled back in defense.

"Hold everything!" Emma yelled, arms raised. Shocked, the three ninjas stared at Emma in shock at her outburst. Now, trying her best to calm herself from her sudden outburst, Emma decided to try a more diplomatic approach to her question. "As I was saying…Who took what?" she asked.

"Didn't you hear me?" Naruto asked. "I said th-"

_**WHAP!**_

"OW!" Naruto yelled as Sakura slapped him once again.

"What Naruto means…" Sakura stated, gazing daggers at her teammate for his stupidity. "What he means is that we tried our best, but unfortunately the enemy ninjas were able to take your car."

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Emma let this new information sink in. "That's okay. Thank you for telling me Sakura." she replied. The three looked at her questionably.

"You mean you're okay with this?" Naruto asked, baffled.

"Of coarse I'm not okay!" Emma yelled. "Do you know how much I paid for that thing? I had to work double shifts and weekends just to save up for it! And now some fuck'n jackasses decide to just come and take it, after all I've been through!" Emma paced about the room, her arms flailing as she ranted insistently. All the meanwhile her three friends watched in shock as she broke down in front of their eyes.

"I saved up all that money…" Emma sniffled, as she was now reduced to a blubbering mass of sorrow. "And I was really proud of myself, it was so hard not to spend the money…" Shaking herself free from her shocked state, Sakura walked over to her friend, who was now crouched over sitting on Kakashi's bed. Then, waving the two boys out of the room, she placed a supportive hand on Emma's shoulder.

"Shh…it's alright." Sakura whispered, sitting next to Emma as she embraced her for support.

Emma shook her head. "No, it's not. Everything was finally going okay, but then…but then…I got lost in that stupid fog and end in fuck'n Oz!" Emma half cried-half growled.

'_Oz?'_ Sakura pondered to herself. For close to an hour the two boys silently waited in Kakashi's living room. They listened carefully as Sakura tried her best to console their grieving friend. They'd never seen Emma like this before, and they were at a loss for what to do.

"I'll go see if the Hokage has found out anything." Sasuke told Naruto.

"I'll come with you!"

"No."

"Why not?"

"You need to stay here to tell the girls where I've gone. Besides, Sakura might need your help." Naruto grimaced. He didn't want to stay, nor did he want Sasuke to be the hero again. But, as much as it pained him to admit it, his teammate was right. Naruto gave a disappointed huff as he nodded in understanding. "I shouldn't be long." Sasuke informed him before leaving.

**Back to Kakashi's Team…**

After several more hours the group finally found themselves back home in Konoha. Upon being let in by the guards at the gate, they then checked Chii and themselves into the hospital for some much needed R and R. Not long after they were checked in, the Hokage decided to pay a visit to the group.

"I'm glad to see your mission was a success." he stated. The tree men nodded.

"Do you know if Chii will be alright?" Iruka asked. "The doctors haven't told us anything yet."

Sarutobi nodded. "She is in the ER for now, and the doctors inform she is doing nicely."

"THE ER?" Gai shouted, shocked.

The Hokage nodded. "Yes, she's broken her two legs and right arm. And aside from sustaining several lesions on her back and neck, the rest of her injuries are minor flesh wounds."

"I hope she get better quickly." Iruka stated. Kakashi nodded in agreement, as did Sarutobi. Gai, however, was furious.

"THOSE BASTARDS SHALL PAY FOR HARMING THE LOVELY CHII!" he yelled. "HOW DARE THEY HARM MY FRIEND! REST ASSURED, KONOHA'S GREEN BEAST WILL NOT REST UNTILL THOSE SCOUNDRELS ARE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE!" Iruka, Kakashi, the Hokage and his assistant, as well as everyone within ear-shot, dead-panned. Wanting to avenge one's friend and uphold justice was one thing, but why must Gai always make a spectacle of himself?

"SHHH…!" the head nurse hushed Gai. "This is a hospital! We have a lot of sick and injured people here who need their rest! And if you don't quite down I'll be forced to muzzle you!" Gai nodded sheepishly, slightly fearful of the plump little woman (the head nurse). Iruka and the Hokage sweat-dropped as Kakashi chuckled merrily at Gai's shocked expression.

"Yes, well…" Sarutobi huffed. "I'm not sure if you've been informed yet, but while you were gone a group of enemy ninjas attacked the village."

"WHAT?" Gai shouted, earning him an evil glair and kick in the shin from the head nurse.

"Why?" Iruka questioned.

The Hokage took a long drag on his pipe. "It would appear that their main objective was to capture Emma's car. As of now we have no idea how they knew of it, but I'm certain we'll find out as quickly as possible."

"Is Emma okay?" Kakashi asked, a worried tone in his voice.

"That has yet to be determined." Sarutobi answered.

"WHAT?" Gai yelled. "YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE THE LOVELY MISS. EMIRI IS? HOW COULD NOBODY NOT KNOW WHERE SHE I-?"

"That's it!" the head nurse yelled, grabbing Gai by the ear and pulling him out of the room roughly. As she did, one could hear Gai's frantic pleads echoing threw the halls as he was dragged out.

"OUCH! NO! LET GO OF ME! I MUST GO FIND WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LOVELY MISS. EMMA! PLEASE MS., LET ME GO!" (Ect.)

"What do you mean?" Kakashi questioned the Hokage, ignoring Gai's painful cries. Iruka looked Kakashi after he asked this. From the way he spoke, it almost sounded like he was worried.

The Hokage shook his head in disappointment of Gai before continuing. "We were caught by surprise and everyone has yet to all be accounted for. However, I have sent team seven to check on her and they should be reporting back shortly." Sarutobi stated. Iruka noticed a slight and thankful sigh escape Kakashi's lips as he heard this.

'_Was I right? Was Kakashi actually worried about Emma?'_ Iruka wondered. _'It couldn't be. For as long as I've known him, Kakashi has never been one to worry. Then again…'_ Iruka's thoughts were caught short as Sasuke entered the room.

"Ah…Sasuke, I trust you have some news of Miss. Solinger's whereabouts for us?" Sarutobi asked.

Sasuke nodded. "Team seven and I found her hiding in Kakashi's bedroom, after defeating an enemy ninja inside the apartment."

"And she's there now as well?" asked the Hokage.

"Yes. Sakura is consoling her while Naruto stands guard. I thought it best that one of us should inform you of our findings, so I came here." answered the raven-haired boy.

'_Consoling?'_ Kakashi wondered. _'Does that mean Emma is crying again? What for though?'_ Just as Iruka was going to ask why Emma needed consoling, Kakashi spoke. "Good job Sasuke." Kakashi smiled half-heartedly. "With your permission Hokage, I would like to see how Emma is doing myself."

The Hokage thought about his request. "I suppose, If it's okay with the doctor, that is."

"In my professional opinion, it would appear that Mr. Hatake could stand the exercise back to apartment. Providing he rest when he gets there that is." smiled Dr. Wong. No sooner had the doctor finished his sentence did Kakashi leap out the window, heading for home.

"Sensei!" yelled Naruto as Kakashi opened the door to his apartment. Ignoring his student completely, the Jounin walked swiftly to his bedroom. Inside he found a half awake Emma, cheeks stained and eyes puffy from crying, leaning on Sakura's shoulder for support.

"Hello Kakashi-sensei." Sakura smiled up at him. The scarecrow nodded his reply as he sat next to Emma. Hesitantly, he placed a hand on her back and started rubbing it for comfort as he did so. Emma jumped slightly at his touch, but soon welcomed it, finding his touch both warm and gentle.

"How is she?" he asked. Sakura looked up at her sensei, her brow wrinkled in slight awe and confusion. She'd never seen this side of him before, it was weird.

"She'll be okay. I think she's all cried out for the time being." she answered. '_Could Kakashi-sensei really be worried about her?'_ thought Sakura. It was doubtful. Kakashi never really seemed to care that much about anyone or anything. No matter what happened, or how dangerous the situation was, he always seemed to keep a cool head about things.

That wasn't to say that he was without human compassion. Sakura knew he cared about the village, his friends, and even their team. But it was uncharacteristic for him actually look or sound worried. He'd usually hide it behind a sarcastic remark or stern orders. '_Maybe he's just too tired to actually hide his feelings because of how exhausting his mission was?_' she wondered. Yeah, that makes sense. Kakashi was so tired from his mission he forgot to put his mental guard up. That had to be it!

"Sakura, did you hear me?" asked Kakashi.

"Huh?" Sakura questioned, finally snapping out her own thoughts.

Her sensei smiled. "I said you and Naruto can go home now if you want. I'm sure your parents are worried about by now."

"You sure?" she asked.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of Emma." he smiled, gently grabbing Emma around her waist and pulling her against his chest. Sudden thoughts of her sensei taking advantage of Em-chan's vulnerable mental state flashed threw Sakura's mind.

"I bet you would!" she yelled, pulling Emma away from him by yanking her wrist. However, Sakura yanked so hard that she sent Emma flying into her. The sudden impact caused Sakura to loose her balance, sending both girls colliding into the floor. "Oof!" cried Sakura as she hit the floor.

"Ugh!" Emma exasperated as she fell atop of Sakura. The sudden racket coming from Kakashi's room prompted Naruto to come running in at a most inopportune moment. What the blonde boy saw when he entered the room looked like Emma had suddenly decided to wrestle Sakura.

"Ah! Em-chan, quit attacking Sakura-chan!" yelled Naruto. As the two girls got up, Sakura glared at her teammate.

"She didn't attack me, idiot!" she yelled. "Em-chan fell on me by accident!"

"Oh…!" Naruto exclaimed, rubbing his head as a dorky/innocent smile crept onto his face. _'I have no idea why Em-chan would fall on her, but I'll act like I do!'_ Forgetting her idiotic teammate for the time being, Sakura turned her attention towards Kakashi.

"Sensei, I think it would be best if Em-chan spent the night over my house." smiled Sakura.

"It's okay, Sakura." yawned Emma. "It is his mission to protect me after all, not yours."

"But what if Kakashi-sensei tries something?" questioned Sakura.

Kakashi gave a look of mock disappointment. "Why Sakura, why would I do something like that?" he smirked.

"You see?" Sakura shouted, pointing an accusing finger at him. "If we go he'll try something, I know!"

Emma shook her head. "He hasn't yet. And besides, I've an idea of the type of girls he goes for, and I'm not it."

"Are you sure about that?" Kakashi questioned playfully, cocking an eyebrow at her. Emma's cheeks turned pink from embarrassment.

"See, I knew it!" Sakura shouted. "You're coming with me!" she demanded, grabbing Emma by the wrist.

"It'll be okay Sakura." Emma insisted, pulling free of the pink-haired girl's grasp. "If he DOES try anything, which is HIGHLY doubtful, I'll just castrate him." she smiled. Naruto and Kakashi cringed at that thought. (Though Kakashi wasn't as noticeable.)

"You sure?" questioned Sakura, still not convinced.

Emma nodded her head sleepily. "Yes, now please go? I'm really tired and I need my sl-" Before Emma could finish her sentence she blacked-out and her knees buckled, sending her flying backwards. Luckily for her, Kakashi caught her in his arms a split-second before any harm could be done.

"Em-chan!" yelled Sakura and Naruto worriedly.

"It's okay, I got her." Kakashi smiled, picking her up bridal-style. Sakura, who'd been holding her breath while watching Emma fall, finally sighed in relief.

"Will she be okay?" asked Naruto.

Kakashi nodded, laying her gently on his bed. "I think she'll be okay after she's gotten some sleep."

"You sure?" Sakura questioned worriedly. "I could go to the hospital and get some help."

The silver-haired scarecrow shook his head. "If she's not doing okay by tomorrow I'll take her myself. Now, I think it'll be best if you both head home now."

"But-!" cried Sakura.

"That's an order." Kakashi insisted. Sighing in defeat, Sakura and Naruto both said their goodbyes before finally leaving. After watching his students leave, Kakashi went and got a damp towel from the bathroom. Placing the towel on Emma's forehead, he then tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"Aww…how cute." Pakkun mocked, entering the room.

"Where were you?" Kakashi asked, ignoring the remark.

"Where was I? Where were you?" grimaced the dog.

"Shhh…!" Kakashi hushed him.

"Don't you hush me! I leave for a couple of days to visit my sick mother, and what do I find when I get back? You've got two idiotic girlfriends, living here no less! You think I'd get a warning ahead of time, but no…!"

"Yeah, sorry about that." Kakashi smiled. "I wasn't expecting her."

"Neither was I, no thanks to you! Oh, by the way, your girlfriend here is a total nut case! Can you believe she actually accused me of not being able to talk! She thought I was rigged with a walkie-talkie! Can you believe th-?" Before he could finish his sentence, Pakkun was silenced by Kakashi's hand over his mouth.

"I'm sorry, Pakkun, okay? But neither Emma nor I are feeling well right now. So if you don't mind, we'll talk about this later, okay?"

Mumbling a "Fine!", Pakkun left the room in a huff. Getting ready to leave, Kakashi turned off the light on his nightstand and tucked Emma in for the night. But before he could go the Jounin noticed she had (unconsciously) grabbed his hand.

"Don't go…" she mumbled. Figuring she was having a nightmare, and that she might want some support, Kakashi reluctantly decided to stay.

"Don't worry…I, I won't go." he stuttered slightly, slipping under the covers next to her. Slightly uncomfortable, Kakashi got ready for bed by taking off his headband, mask, and shirt. (As mentioned before he preferred to sleep naked, but he didn't think his "roommate" would appreciate it much.) Before he knew it Emma had reached over and hugged him close to her, nuzzling her head into his chest. Now is was his turn to cringe. But much like Emma had done earlier, he soon relaxed himself in her embrace. '_Why do I feel like this?'_ he wondered. It wasn't as if he hadn't slept with other girls before. In fact he'd "slept" with a couple of girls. But somehow, for some unknown reason, she seemed different.

The next mourning Kakashi awoke to the scent of vanilla (Emma's shampoo). He smiled happily as he snuggled closer, holding her tightly in his arms. When he finally opened his eyes he was greeted to the sight of Emma slumbering form entangled with his own. She looked so peaceful sleeping there; it was almost as if what'd happened last night hadn't happened at all. Yet knowing fully that it had, he began to wonder the true depths of her depression. '_What happened to you, Emma?'_ he pondered. _'What horrible thing could've happened to make you so unhappy?'_

The Jounin knew nothing about psychology or the inner working of the female psyche. Nor did he know the reasoning behind Emma's depression. Heck, he'd just the girl not even two weeks ago! But there was something about her that reached out to him. If anybody could possibly understand Emma, it was him. Kakashi himself knew what it was like to be so unhappy. To be completely carefree and happy on the outside, yet deeply pained within. He wished that there were some way he could make her stop hurting, so that she could be as peaceful as she was now forever. But Kakashi himself was broken, so how could he possibly hope to help the heart of another when his own heart was shattered as well? Then, without thinking, Kakashi lowered his lips to meet Emma's. However, just as suddenly as his lips met hers, he pulled away.

Half shocked, half confused, and just a tiny bit scared, the silver-haired Jounin bolted from his bed and ran into the bathroom. Undressing quickly, he promptly jumped into a cold shower as thoughts of what'd just happened filled his head. Never before had he felt the way he did when he kissed her. When their lips connected Kakashi felt a surge of electricity flow up his spine. His heart raced while his stomach twisted itself in knots.

It wasn't as if the scarecrow hadn't felt "sparks" before, but these were more then mere sparks, they were…they were…CONFUSING! That's what they were! That wasn't to say that Kakashi didn't find Emma to be attractive, in a "girl next-door" type of way. Emma was just, well…different. So then, why was he attracted to her? What on Earth was happening to him? What was it that compelled him to kiss Emma? And probably most importantly of all, why did he feel so turned on by a simple kiss?

Dear Lord God, even the freezing cold water blasting down on his naked body didn't help to subdue all of it! That's when it hit him. If a cold shower wouldn't be able to cure the lust he was feeling, maybe some exercise would? So, turning off the shower (and getting dried of coarse), Kakashi got dressed as quickly as possible and bolted out the apartment door.

'_Am I missing something?'_ wondered Pakkun. _'Where's the fire?'_ Half an hour later Emma woke up by accidentally rolling off the bed.

_**THUD!**_

'_Ugh! Don't tell me I rolled off AGAIN!'_ Emma thought as she groggily rubbed her eyes. Untangling herself from the mass of blankets atop of her, Emma then stood up, yawning and stretching as she did so.

"Hey, you know why Kakashi left in such a hurry this mourning?" Pakkun asked as he entered the room.

"Uhh…no." Emma answered, rubbing her sore head. Pakkun just looked back up at her, still confused the Jounin's strange behavior that mourning.

"Well, when he gets back can you tell him I went for a walk?" Pakkun more so told Emma then asked as he disappeared in a puff of smoke. Left alone again, Emma took a shower, got dressed, and then ate breakfast. After which she decided to go and visit Chii in the hospital.

**1:32 PM, the Bridge…**

Team seven had been waiting over two hours for their sensei to arrive. "Why can't Kakashi-sensei ever be on time?" whined Naruto.

"Calm down, Naruto!" Sakura demanded. "Complaining never solved anything!" _'Kakashi better have a good reason for being late this time!'_ she thought angrily. As if on cue a puff of smoke appeared in front of the three, reveling their late sensei.

"Sorry I'm so late." Kakashi stated, rubbing the back of his head. "I wasn't feeling quite myself this mourning and had to go see a professional for treatment." Sasuke scuffed at the Jounin's lame excuse.

"You don't look sick to me, liar!" boomed Naruto.

"Yeah sensei, you're never sick, stop lying!" demanded Sakura.

Kakashi shook his finger at the two. "I don't recall saying I was sick, only that I wasn't myself." he corrected them.

'_And that's a bad thing?'_ thought Sasuke.

"Well if you weren't sick, then what was wrong?" Sakura inquired.

"Did somebody get you hooked with those fish-lips of yours?" teased Naruto.

Kakashi sweat-dropped. "No, nothing like that." he chuckled. "But my being late is besides the point. Today we have another mission."

"Oh boy, a mission!" cheered Naruto.

"What kind of mission is it?" questioned Sakura.

Kakashi smirked as he held out mops and buckets of soapy water. "Today we will be helping to clean up after the festival last night." Now it was Sasuke's turn to sweat-drop while Sakura and Naruto dead-panned.

**At the Hokage's Office…**

"Sir, our intel suggests that the enemies who attacked us last night were from Anei." stated Suichii (the Hokage's assistant). "Furthermore we believe that the attack on Chii was a set-up by them as well."

"I see." nodded Sarutobi. "And what of their intentions for the car?"

"Though nothing has yet to be confirmed, all of our evidence suggests that the Aneians intend to modify and replicate mass numbers of them to use in a full-on strike against us and other nations."

"They mean to start a war?"

"Yes Sir, it would appear so."

Taking a long puff of his pipe, the Hokage got up from his desk and walked over to the window. '_I always knew that the Aneians were a power-hungry people, but I never imagined that they would be capable of such malevolence. To be willing to start a war such as this implicates that things are worse then I'd imagined.'_

"Sir, there's one more thing."

"Yes?"

"It has come to our attention that the Yokoshima has found the ancient _**Raijin no Tama Scroll**_." (Stone of the Lightening God Scroll.) Hearing this, the Hokage turned around, a questionable glair on his face.

"Assuming you're correct, it would appear that the legendary jutsu is no longer mere myth. In any case, we must assemble a team to retrieve both it and the car, as well as warning all the other nations of this possible threat." Sarutobi sighed.

Suichii nodded. "Already done Sir. All we need is you're approval and we will be ready to go."

"Very well then, do it."

**Team Seven…**

'_Stupid, no good cleaning duty! What kind of ninja mission is THIS?'_ thought Naruto. _'How am I ever gunna become Hokage if I never get to prove myself?'_ "I can't take this anymore!" shouted Naruto. "I'm a REL ninja, not some janitor, and I demand a REAL ninja mission!"

_**WHAP!**_

"Shhh…! Calm down Naruto!" scolded Sakura, pounding the blond boy up-side his head.

"Ouch!" Naruto cried, rubbing the lump Sakura gave him. "What was that for, Sakura?" Clamping her hands over Naruto's mouth, Sakura shushed him once again.

"Shhh…! Naruto, if you're not quite Kakashi-sensei might hear you!" whispered Sakura firmly. Naruto looked at Sakura in confusion then mumbled something incoherent. "What was that?" questioned Sakura, releasing her grasp from Naruto.

"I said: Why don't you want Kakashi-sensei to hear us?"

"Because, Naruto, haven't you noticed how different he's been acting today?" Sakura asked him.

Sasuke scoffed._ 'She expects this moron to actually take notice of something?'_ Naruto glared at Sasuke then shook his head at Sakura.

'_Figures he wouldn't notice!'_ Sakura thought sweat-dropping. Calming herself, Sakura then pointed-out their sensei to Naruto. "Look at him, doesn't he seem a bit out of it today?" she asked.

Naruto looked closely, trying to see what Sakura what hinting at. '_Hmm…Kakashi-sensei seems to be reading his hentai novels again. But how is that any different then any other day?'_ pondered Naruto. "Oh, I get it!" smiled Naruto. "Kakashi-sensei is reading a new book, right?" Sasuke and Sakura dead-panned at their teammate's utter cluelessness.

"How is it that Kakashi-sensei is reading his book when he's holding it upside-down, bozo?" Sasuke more so pointed-out then asked. Naruto peered at the book in his sensei's hands. It WAS upside-down!

"Heh-he, of coarse I noticed that, Sasuke!" laughed Naruto. "I just wanted to see if you could spot it as well!"

Sakura shook her head at his obvious lye. "What do you think he's thinking about?" she asked Sasuke.

"Why should I care?" Sasuke responded coldly.

'_Oh no!'_ thought Sakura_. 'Could it be that my curiosity has upset Sasuke? Maybe he thinks I'm being meddlesome?'_ "Oh…heh-heh!" she laughed. "I know, it's really stupid of me to ask. Why should I care what our sensei thinks?" Sasuke didn't reply this time. Instead he simply continued his job of mopping up the dried blood and dirt. '_I knew it! Sasuke does think I'm meddlesome!'_ Sakura innerly pouted. Still, she couldn't quite shake the feeling that something was off about Kakashi. _'But what?'_

**At the Hospital…**

It was now 4:52 and Emma had spent the last six hours visiting with Chii, and telling her about everything she's missed while she was gone. But since she had to be at work by 5PM, it was now time to say her farewells. "Alright, see you later then. OH! And thanks again for the flowers!" Chii shouted, waving goodbye to Emma from her hospital bed.

Emma waved back as she left. "No problem, I'll see you later!" '_Well that was good. I'm glad to see that Chii is doing better after everything she's been through. The doctor even said she should be home in about a week! Maybe if she can handle being tortured, I can stand being a waitress for at least a little while longer?'_ thought Emma, walking to her job.

The good news is that Emma did make it through the entire day of work, so that was okay. The bad news, however, was that she got demoted to bussing tables. Although being a busser meant less income, Emma was happy that not only was it less intensive then being a waitress, but that also she wasn't fired. Sometime around 7:30PM or so, while Emma was still working, Kakashi came in to join his friends at the bar (Genki).

"Hey, Kakashi, over here!" Asuma yelled, motioning the Jounin over from where he sat with the others. Smiling, Kakashi graciously accepted the invite and sat down between Asuma and Iruka. "So Kakashi, did you hear the good news?" Asuma asked playfully.

Iruka blushed. "Must you tell everyone?"

Asuma smirked, taking a long drag of his cigarette. "Yup."

"What news?" responded the scarecrow.

"It seems our friend Iruka here has finally asked out the new girl at the ramen stand." Asuma smiled, patting Iruka playfully on the back.

"That all?" Kakashi asked, just now noticing Emma cleaning off a table across the room.

"What do you mean, is that all?" shouted Gai, embarrassing Iruka even further. "Don't you know how long it's taken Iruka to ask her?" But Kakashi just toned him out, as usual, as he watched Emma. There she was, the girl who haunted his mind the whole day. Ever since this mourning after the umm…after what happened, Kakashi couldn't stop thinking about her. Even his attempt at a jog around the village had proved fatal in his attempt to forget. Good Lord, what a disaster that was! Emma completely controlled his thoughts.

"Kakashi, are you listening?" shouted Gai, finally succeeding in bringing the Jounin back to reality.

"Huh? Did you say something?" Kakashi asked.

Gai dead-panned. "How hip! It would seem that Kakashi, my eternal rival, has once again proven his superior coolness over me! I shall have to-!"

_**CRASH!**_

Gai was cut-off mid sentence as the sound of crashing plates filled the room. Quick to take notice, Kakashi and his friends turned their attention to the back-right corner of the bar. What they saw appeared to be a pissed-off Cho pinning a shocked Emma to the wall.

"Uh…excuse me, but what was that for?" Emma asked, pissed.

Cho smirked evilly. "As if you didn't know, you man stealer!" she yelled, punching Emma in her nose.

_**CRACK!**_

Emma fell to the floor, grabbing her now broken nose. That was it! Emma had had enough of this world! Enough of not knowing where she was, of strange people she didn't know, of be accused of things she didn't do, of having her shit stolen, and of prissy sluts who's only way of validating their pathetic existence was to screw as many men as possible! Picking Emma up by her hair, Cho threw her across the room. Lucky for Emma she was caught by Kakashi before she hit the floor.

"Are you alright?" he asked her worriedly. Emma just smirked, laughing maniacally. She'd had so much of this world that she finally snapped!

"What the HELL are you laughing at, BITCH?" shouted Cho. Chuckling evilly, Emma raised her head up. Her eyes seemed to glow as she glared at Cho in defiance. (**A/N:** Think of Wrath from _FMA_ when he's pissed.)

"You have no idea who you're fucking with!" shouted Emma (in true _Blade_ fashion) as she ripped herself free of Kakashi's grasp and dove at Cho. It took a full thirty seconds or so before Kakashi finally pulled Emma off of Cho. And let it be stated, Emma did NOT want to be pulled off! "Let me at that _**Bimbo Barbie**_!" Emma shouted, right before she bit Kakashi's arm.

"I don't think so…." Kakashi replied, wincing slightly in pain. Emma (literally) growled as she continued to kick and punch Kakashi in defiance.

"I think you should take the rest of the night off, Emma." Niota stated, picking up a badly beaten Cho.

"I agree." Kakashi stated.

"But what are you going to tell your brother?" Urusai asked.

"When Taku gets back I'll tell him Emma left early because she wasn't feeling herself."

"Good idea." Kakashi smiled, struggling to keep his hold of Emma. "I'm sure Emma will thank you for covering for her when she calms down."

"You want me to calm down?" shouted Emma. "Then let me go!"

Urusai scoffed. "Please, you should consider yourself lucky to be held in arms as lovely as Kakashi's." he stated, winking at the silver-haired Jounin. Kakashi sweat-dropped. Damn his roguish good looks!

"Thanks, but Emma and I have to go now." smiled Kakashi, disappearing in a cloud of smoke. Once again Kakashi was forced to carry an enraged Emma (who was) kicking and screaming, all the way back to his apartment. When he finally got there, and Emma had yet to fully calm down, he decided it would be best to lock her into the apartment with him. After which he finally laid, or rather pinned, Emma down onto his sofa.

"Calm down already, will you?" he pleaded.

Emma sneered at him. "NO!" she shouted. "I've had all that I can fuck'n handle of this hell hole, and I want to go home!" Kakashi sighed, his grip loosening slightly as he straddled Emma.

"I'm sorry that you're so home sick, and I wish there were something I could do to help."

Emma smiled cockily. "Then get the fuck off me and give me the keys!" she snapped at him, grabbing for the keys around his belt.

"These keys?" Kakashi smiled, grabbing the keys and dropping them down his pants. Emma's eyes widened in shock. Satisfied that Emma was finally trapped with him, and therefore couldn't escape to hurt Cho (or herself), Kakashi released his grip from Emma's wrists and stood up. "You can leave if you wish." smirked the scarecrow. "But the only way out, is in my pants." It wasn't until after he said it did Kakashi realize how wrong that sounded.

Slightly agitated by this little set back, Emma still had just enough rage left in her take him up on his offer. "You think you're so cleaver, don't you?" she smirked.

Kakashi nodded his head as he lean against the door. "Maybe."

If it weren't for her sheer stubbornness and determination to leave, and the fact that she was still too pissed to give a damn, Emma might not've done what she did next. Standing up slowly, Emma strode over to the Jounin, a playful look on her face. Kakashi, slightly surprised by her actions, watched intensively and with increasing interest. Every step she took closer to him filled him with want and desire.

Maybe she took him seriously? _'No…she wouldn't. Would she?'_ he wondered. Could Emma...would Emma, would she…would she seriously stick her hands down his…? Oh God! Even as ridiculous as it sounded, the thought of Emma touching him down there made the scarecrow start to stiffen. And in more ways then one!

Then, without warning, Emma grabbed the hem of his pants, ready to go "treasure hunting" (for the keys).

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry again for the wait. Please remember to R/R. 


	7. You've Got A Friend In Me

**A/N:** Sorry I haven't updated in for a while, but I've been busy with school and stuff. I've re-writen the last parts of this fic so I think I'm gunna post them all now, as three seperate chapters. I hope this will tide everyone over until I can finish writing a WHOLE NEW chapter! 

Thanks again to my beta reader valinorstwilight for all her hard work and loyal service, who had to beta all 45 pages for me. And she did so in like four days! Wow, I feel loved. LOL. Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys these revamps.

* * *

"What do you think you're doing?" questioned Kakashi, quickly grabbing Emma's wrist. 

"What does it look like I'm doing, dumbass?" Emma spat. "I'm getting the keys!" This time she used her other hand to try and grab at the keys.

Kakashi shook his head as he held firmly onto her. "Not like this you aren't."

"And why the hell not? You're the one who stuffed the keys down your pants and told me to grab them, not me!"

"True, but I didn't think you'd actually try it."

Emma stared at him cockily, struggling to get free. "And it's my fault you underestimated me, how?" She had him there. But still, why must she always insist on being so damn stubborn? It was a little infuriating the way she got sometimes. And yet, the way she looked when she was upset…

"You know, you look kinda cute when you're mad." smirked the scarecrow. Talk about catching someone off guard! That was the last thing Emma expected to hear from him, especially now.

"I-I-I…I, what?" she asked, blushing slightly.

Kakashi smiled victoriously. "What do you say we have a little fun, huh?" Eyes budging in shock, Emma was rendered frozen as thoughts of his implications filled her head. Did she hear him right? Did he just imply he wanted to…to...um…?

"F-f-fun? What kind of, um…fun?" A sly smile on his face, Kakashi leaned over so that his lips were next to her ear. As he did so, he noticed that her heart rate began to quick as goose-bumps adorned her skin, standing the hairs on her body on end.

Kakashi took her hands in his and whispered softly. "**_Usotsuki_**." Her heart still racing, Emma looked over from the corner of her eye at Kakashi.

"**_Usotsuki_**?" she asked nervously.

The silver-haired jounin smiled. "Yes, **_Usotsuki_**. It's a card game a friend taught me long ago." Emma almost lost her balance as a sudden wave of relief washed over.

"Heh-heh! A card game, right…!" she laughed nervously. "I should've known!"

Drawing back to look Emma in the face, Kakashi smiled happily. "Of course, what did you think I meant?" he asked coolly.

Once again, Emma began to laugh nervously, backing away in embarrassment. "How should I know? I mean, it's not like I can read minds. You could've been talking about a board game or something. Right?" Heh-heh. Smooth, real smooth! …Or not.

Kakashi, of course, had a pretty good feeling of what she thought. He himself thought about that exact same thing. But he couldn't let it happen, not like this. Not now, not here. Still, it amused him that despite Emma's perverted sense of humor, she was so nervous when it came close to something actually happening. And boy, did it come close! He almost didn't stop her. And right now, he was kinda starting to regret that decision.

"You know, if you had something else in mind, something more…exciting, I might be willing to do it." he smiled.

**_GULP!_**

"M-more fun? Don't be silly, what could be more fun then playing a card game with a friend, huh? 'Cuz if there's something funner, I don't know what it is!"

"Okay, then." smiled the scarecrow, walking to the hall closet.

'_Oh God! Talk about a close one!'_ thought Emma. _'Did he actually mean what I thought he…No...! That's silly! Don't be so stupid Emma, why would Kakashi want to do anything like THAT with YOU?'_

"You okay there?" Kakashi asked, placing the card box on the table.

Emma blinked, snapping herself out of her thoughts. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Good." he smiled. Emma nodded in agreement as she sat and watched him shuffle the deck.

"So, umm…how do you play **_Usotsuki_**?" inquired Emma, feeling slightly stupid.

Dealing the cards, Kakashi looked up her and smiled. "It's real simple. So don't worry, you'll get the hang of it in no time." Kakashi was right, the game was simple. Maybe too simple.

"This game is a whole lot like **_Bullshit_**." Emma stated.

"That's because it is." the jounin replied.

"Why didn't you tell me _Usotsuki_ meant _Bullshit_?" she asked.

"I thought you knew that." shrugged the scarecrow.

Emma grimaced slightly. "Well obviously I didn't."

"Obviously." he smiled.

"You enjoy pissing me off, don't you?" questioned Emma. Kakashi smirked as he placed his hand face down, leaning back into his chair.

"Maybe I do." he chuckled. "But it's only because you're so…" he trailed off, eyeing Emma from the corner of his eye.

"I'm so what?" she asked, getting annoyed

"Funny looking." he laughed. Talk about a wrong choice of words!

"I'M funny looking?" shouted Emma, looking like Ed from **_FMA_** when somebody calls him "short". "Look who's talking! At least I don't hide my face behind some stupid mask!"

'_Heh-heh…Oops!'_ Kakashi dead-panned. He didn't mean for her to take it THAT way! "That's not what I meant." stated the jounin, his arms waving defensively.

"REALLY? So what did you mean then, huh?"

Kakashi sweat-dropped. "Only that you're funny when you're mad."

"You think I'm funny, huh?"

"Uh…yes?"

"Well let's see how funny you think this is!" she shouted, kicking at him. Luckily, Kakashi was able to grab Emma's foot. After which, he pulled it, bringing her body up against his own in a tight grasp.

_'UGH! Not AGAIN!' _"Let me go!" Emma shouted, trying relentlessly to pull herself free.

"Not until you let me explain."

"Why, so you can EXPLAIN how my face makes you laugh?"

Kakashi shook his head. "No, so I can explain how cute you look with your nose all scrunched up like that." Yet again, Emma was caught off-guard by Kakashi's words.

"What?" she asked, double-blinking.

The silver-haired man smiled. "Anyone ever tell you how adorable you are?" Uh…um…Oh boy! God-did she feel awkward!

"O-only my family, when I was little."

"Well, you are." he smiled. "And that is what makes you so funny when you're angry, your adorableness." Emma wasn't sure if she understood his logic, but right now she wasn't exactly capable of reasoning of any sort. It was if her brain ceased to function, while her body went limp in his arms. Just then there came a knock at the door, which scared the crap out of Emma.

"ACK!" Emma screeched, jumping in Kakashi's grasp.

"Who's there?" asked the jounin, trying to restrain Emma.

"Who do you think it is?" came a gruff voice.

"Oh, thank God!" Emma sighed in relief, realizing who in fact was behind the door, and finally relaxing in the scarecrow's arms.

"Do you promise not to run if I open the door?" Kakashi asked Emma.

Emma gave a thoughtful look. "Hmm…maybe." she smirked.

"If you do, I'll be forced to restrain you." he smirked, pulling out some rope from one of his vest's pockets.

"You wouldn't...Would you?"

"You'd be shocked if you knew the things I'd be willing to do to you." teased the scarecrow, winking. Eyes bulging, Emma could feel her throat drying out as her jaw dropped. Kakashi chuckled as he released Emma from his grasp, and turned around opening the door.

"About damn time!" huffed Pakkun. "What were you love birds doing in here anyways?"

_'Love birds?' _"Who said we were 'lovebirds'?" Emma asked, blushing at the thought.

"Nobody told me." he stated. "But isn't it obvious?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Pakkun." Kakashi smiled nervously. "Emma and I are just friends."

Pakkun, sitting himself on the sofa, smirked evilly. "Then why did you call her name when-?" Thank God for Kakashi, he managed to cover the dog's mouth before he could finish the sentence! He didn't want her to know he was masturbating in the shower while thinking about her.

"Umm…what was that?" Emma asked, slightly confused and yet intrigued. _'When did he call my name? WHY would he call my name?'_

"What was what?" replied the nervous jounin.

Emma furrowed her eyebrows. "Don't you even try to claim ignorance, because contrary to how I act sometimes, I'm not as stupid as I look. Now talk!"

"Oh! You mean that?" asked Kakashi, pointing to an annoyed Pakkun.

Emma nodded her head, becoming increasingly annoyed with the scarecrow's games. "Yeah, that. What was he talking about?" she rather demanded to know, instead of asked him.

"That was nothing, really." he replied coolly. "Just an inside joke, you know?" An inside joke, pertaining to her? Now she HAD to know!

"No, I don't. Enlighten me."

Pakkun laughed silently to himself. _'I'm gonna love seeing Kakashi try to get out of this!'_ Regaining his composure, Kakashi gave a quick and warning glare to Pakkun before releasing his grasp from the canine.

"Well I would, but it's more like a guy thing, so you wouldn't get it." he answered, scratching his head.

"So then, it's not like you don't trust me, or think that I'm stupid?" Emma asked playfully.

Kakashi shook his head, smiling. "No, not at all."

Cocking an eyebrow, Emma stepped closer to the tall, silver-haired jounin. "Then what you're really saying, is that I won't get it because I'm a girl?"

"No, not at all!" smiled the jounin, nervously shaking his hand for effect.

"So then, why won't I get it? You know me well enough by now to know how perverse I can be. So it's not like I can't take crude humor. And it's not like I can't keep a secret. Besides, don't you think if it's about me, I should know?"

"Who said it was about you?"

'_Is he really THAT stupid? He did not just think I couldn't hear somebody talking from four feet away, did he?'_ Emma thought. "HE DID!" Emma shouted, pointing at Pakkun. "The damn dog isn't even four feet away from me, and we're in the same fuck'n room! Like I'm not gonna hear him talking about me?"

Damn Emma and her logic! Why couldn't she just let it go? Couldn't she see how uncomfortable this was making him? ...Or maybe she can, and she's just toying with him? He wouldn't put something like that past her. Still... Kakashi sighed heavily, trying his best to think up an excuse. But what to tell her? Then it hit him! Once again reverting back into his naturally aloof composure, Kakashi was certain his excuse would work.

"Well I didn't want you to worry about this, but I've been having nightmares lately."

Emma gave him a questioning look. "Okay, so what? How does that have anything to do with me?"

"Everything actually. See, in my dream you're being kidnapped, and when I go to save you I get killed. Which is why Pakkun heard me calling your name the other night."

_'Wow.'_ thought Pakkun. '_That excuse wasn't that bad! I think he's getting better at this! …But will she believe it?'_ Apparently Emma did believe him. The slight shock on her face gave her away.

"That's it? Lovely. Most guys would either dream about sports or women, but you have to kill me in yours! I can just feel the love." Emma remarked sarcastically.

Kakashi sweat-dropped. "Actually you haven't been killed yet, only kidnapped."

"Haven't been killed, YET?"

"Not like I wanna see you die, it's just every time I DO try and rescue you I just…well…I can't."

"Yeah, yeah…" Emma scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Anyways, I'm tired as fuck, so if you don't mind-even if you do, tough shit-because I'm going to bed."

Kakashi chuckled. "No, I don't mind. Good night."

"Yeah, good night." Emma yawned.

However, just as she was settling in on the couch, she remembered something.

"Oh, I just remembered, you got a package the other day. It's on the kitchen table."

"A package?" Kakashi asked, walking into the kitchen. Sure enough, Emma was right, he found it there. But the package wasn't for him, it was for her. "This must be the new key I ordered for you." he stated, carrying the box into the living room.

"Key? What kind of key?"

"It's a new copy of Chii's apartment key, so you don't have to stay here anymore."

"Oh thank God! I was starting to get annoyed having to wear the same clothes for so long!" Emma beamed, taking the package from Kakashi and opening it.

"Well you could've taken my offer to borrow some of my clothes." Kakashi stated.

"And wind up like Cameron Diaz in **_There's Something About Mary_**? No thank you!" she laughed.

"Who?" asked Pakkun.

Emma sighed. "Never mind, I'm just gonna leave."

That said, she walked out into the hall and into Chii's apartment, Kakashi following her.

"What are you doing?" Emma asked when she noticed him.

"Following you." he replied.

"I know that." Emma huffed. "What I meant was, WHY are you following me?"

"Because until Chii gets out of the hospital, I'm still obligated to protect you." he replied, sitting on the couch. Obligated? ...Ouch, that hurt. And here Emma was thinking she'd made a friend.

'…_I guess not.'_ Emma pouted inwardly. _'I should've known I was nothing more then a job to him.'_ "Oh…I see..." she stated, now gazing at her feet. Just then, something clicked in Kakashi's head.

"Oh no!" he protested. "I didn't mean it like THAT!"

Emma gazed up at him from the tops of her eyes, smiling halfheartedly. "No, it's alright. I get it." she mumbled, starting for Chii's bedroom. The scarecrow sighed as he got up, following Emma into the bedroom. He watched silently, trying to think of the right words to say, as she pulled out a suitcase from under the bed and opened it.

"Look, I didn't mean it the way it sounded." stated the jounin, rubbing the back of his neck. "I only meant that until Chii recovers it's my job to protect you. Which isn't to say that I don't like spending time with you, or that we'll never get to hang out again once Chii gets out…" Pakkun laughed to himself as he watched the scene unfolding in Chii's room. In all the time that he'd known Kakashi, which was most of his life, he'd never seen him so nervous and unsure of himself.

"So then, I'm not just some job to you?" Emma asked.

Kakashi shook his head. "No, you're more then that, you're-"

"A friend?" Emma asked, finishing his sentence.

"Yeah." he smiled. "A friend."

Emma smiled as she stood up, a change of clothes in hand. "Thanks." she said, ushering him out of the room.

Kakashi smiled in return. "Don't mention it." he stated, shrugging it off coolly as she closed the door on him. Pakkun shook his head and scoffed as he walked toward the door. "Can I help you?" Kakashi asked, turning around and sitting in a chair in Chii's living room and opening his book.

"No, I'm fine." stated the dog. "It's you, my friend, who needs help."

Kakashi cocked an eyebrow. "And how do you figure that?" he asked, turning the page.

"Well for starters, there's that whole thing that happened in Chii's room." replied Pakkun.

The jounin just shrugged and turned the page, not seeming to care. "And?"

"And?" asked Pakkun. "How about the fact that you haven't been on a single mission since SHE got here, huh? And don't give me that whole 'It's my job' excuse."

Sighing, the scarecrow pocketed his book and opened the apartment door. "I get where you're going with this, but you're wrong." he stated, shooing Pakkun out.

"Am I?" Pakkun questioned as he left, Kakashi closing the door behind him (Pakkun).

"Not that I don't enjoy your company, but your apartment is just down the hall. If anything goes wrong I can always call you." Emma stated, emerging from the bedroom in a fresh new outfit.

Kakashi smirked as he lay down on the couch, reopening his book. "That's okay, I'll just spend the night here, if you don't mind."

"Fine." Emma sighed. "Consider yourself damn lucky I'm too tired to argue. Good night."

"Good night." Kakashi smiled as watched her walk back into Chii's room to sleep. However that night proved to be a restless one for him. All Kakashi could think about was what Pakkun said. Though he'd admit it to no one, Kakashi knew Pakkun was right. Well…sort of. Kakashi DID like Emma, there was no way around that. But the way he figured it, it was most likely some type of adolescent infatuation, not actual love. After all, not only did he just meet the girl, but Kakashi was a Shinobi and could therefore not afford to fall in love, it would be too dangerous.

Then there was the obvious fact that Emma was physically different from every girl he'd ever been attracted to. She was plain and ordinary looking, and a little on the overweight side for her height. He knew this, he'd gone over it a million times! Not to mention that Emma wasn't the most stable of people. She had the uncanny ability to go from friendly to bitch in under three seconds flat. How many times has he had to restrain her so far? Five? Six? Of course she did have an excellent sense of humor, which he liked. Also the fact that she was as hurt as deeply he was gave them a sort of connection. And for all the pain she felt, and the humor she used to try and cover it, she still managed to retain a sense of child-like innocence that baffled him.

'_She's like Naruto that way.'_ he thought. Finally deciding to give in to the nagging urge he'd been feeling all night, Kakashi got up from the couch and entered the bedroom where Emma was sleeping. Gazing intensively at the source of his confusion, the scarecrow felt a wave of emotions like those he'd never felt before wash over his being. She looked so peaceful, so angelic, so…tantalizingly welcoming, laying there. It was as if he'd stepped into a dream.

Careful not to wake her, Kakashi sat down on the bed next to Emma and played with her hair. Yet another one of the things he liked about her, was her hair. Though tangled from her constant turning in bed, her hair was soft and shone brightly in the moonlit room. Without thinking, the jounin let his hand leave her hair to trail the contours of her face. Stopping finally when he reached her soft lips, Kakashi thought back to the other night and the kiss that was forever etched into his memory. The longer he stayed there the more he wanted her, and the harder it got for him not to think about all the things he could do to or with her. He didn't know why, but right now he didn't care. He would leave all his doubts for the daylight. Now however, now was the time he's devote to himself.

Deciding it best not to risk waking up Emma or soiling Chii's furniture, Kakashi proceeded quietly to the bathroom. Here he allowed his imagination to soar as he relieved himself of his built-up tension. Finally around five or six in the morning, after calming himself down, and after deciding once and for all what his next move would be, Kakashi finally laid back down on the couch and fell asleep.

**Meanwhile, In Anei… **

"What have we learned so far?" the Yokoshima questioned Yami, his head engineer.

"Our studies show that the car acquired from Konoha is at least decades, if not centuries, ahead of any technologies known to exist. As such, we've had difficulty being able to study and successfully replicate working models." explained Yami.

The Yokoshima glared angrily as he grabbed Yami by his collar. "Listen to me, you worthless little toad, if you don't have a working replica ready to show me by the end of next week, I'll skin you alive and make lamp shades from your useless hide! Is that understood?"

"Y-y-yes Sir!" Yami stuttered.

"Good." smirked the Yokoshima evilly. "Now get back to work!" he bellowed, tossing Yami backwards into a wall. Turning around on his heel, the Yokoshima then marched out of the room and down the hall to Lab 3. "Tell me you're making better progress then that fool Yami, Yusuke." Growled the Yokoshima.

"Yes Sir." Smiled Yusuke. "As to date, my team and I have been able to make four dozen replicas of the weapon using the **_Raijin no Tama Scroll_** you provided us with."

The Yokoshima smirked evilly hearing this. "Good, but I expect you to have at least triple that amount by next week. Is that clear?"

"Perfectly Sir." Yusuke nodded. "And if I may, the world won't know what's coming to them."

"No." laughed the Yokoshima. "I'm afraid the world has no clue how close to its demise it truly is. Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

**The Next Day, In Konoha… **

For once, in the entire time she's been here, Emma woke up before Kakashi did. Which, needless to say, was quite a surprise as she usually preferred to sleep in.

_'Ugh. It's only __eight o'clock__ in the morning?_' she thought, looking groggily at Chii's clock. _'Talk about an unholy hour to wake up.'_ Yawning, Emma got out of bed and sauntered into the bathroom for a shower, almost entering the hall closet thinking it was the bathroom. The warm water felt inviting as it cascaded down her, gently awakening her tired and sore muscles as it did so.And the vanilla-scented body-wash and shampoo and conditioner Chii had also proved to be a much welcomed stimulant to her senses.

_'Where am I?'_ wondered Kakashi, stretching out lazily on Chii's sofa. '_This doesn't look like my place.' _Too tired to really care where he was at the moment, the scarecrow got up and looked for the bathroom. _'Nope.'_ he thought as he opened the closet door. _'Not here either.'_ he noted, glancing into Chii's room. "Ah-ha." yawned Kakashi as he entered the bathroom, just as Emma had turned off the shower. Unzipping his pants, the jounin proceeded to relieve himself (urinate). _'I wonder why it's so wet and muggy in here?'_ he thought, noting the water droplets on the wall.

Grabbing the towel she'd left on the rack next to the shower, Emma dried herself off before finally wrapping it around herself and opening the shower curtain. Both Emma and the jounin froze as the shower curtain hit the wall. Kakashi fought hard not to...well…get hard, as he gazed intently at Emma, who was covered by nothing but a towel that clang tightly to her wet body.

"Yo." he smiled nervously, trying hurriedly to finish.

"Uhh…hi?" stammered Emma, clinging to her towel, not daring to look down in front of her.

Finished, the jounin quickly shook himself dry before returning his now aching member and re-zipping his pants, careful not to catch himself. Mentally chiding himself for not knocking, Kakashi tried his hardest to calm himself down. The fact that the heat radiating off her still damp skin was carrying the scent of her vanilla-soaked body didn't help the matter in the slightest, as he resisted the urge to just take the half-naked girl right then and there. Thankfully, Emma kept her gaze on his face. Which was good for Kakashi, lest she notice his tell-tale bulge.

_'How did I not hear him enter?'_ she thought, wondering how long he'd been there. Just then there came at knock at the door. "I'll get that!" Emma shouted as she ran out of the bathroom, not remembering she was clad in naught but a towel. When she opened the door Emma came face to face with none other then Gai himself. "Oh, hello Gai." she smiled. "What can I do for you?"

Gai's face turned completely red as blood ran down from his nose. This was the second time he'd seen her in nothing but a towel, and he was beginning to hope it wouldn't be the last. "I-I-I-I…!" he stammered. Before Emma could ask what was wrong, Kakashi, who now had his mask on, walked over and put his hands lovingly on her hips from behind.

"Why don't you put on something less revealing?" he asked, noting the towel. Emma's eyes bulged as she looked down at her chosen attire. How could she have forgotten? Without so much as a word, she freed herself from Kakashi's grasp and ran off towards Chii's room.

_'What's Gai gonna think?'_ she wondered, pulling her suitcase out from under the bed. _'I know what he's gonna think, he's gonna think something happened-That's what he's gonna think!'_ Emma sighed, mentally answering her own question.

After watching Emma run into the other, slamming the door shut behind her, Kakashi turned back around to face Gai. "What's up?" he asked. His face going from shocked to pissed, Gai's ears ran with clouds of smoke.

"WHAT'S UP?"" he shouted. "WHAT'S UP? I COME OVER TO FIND YOU DRESSED LIKE THAT, WITH A...A...AH-HEM! He gestured toward Kakashi's bulge while saying this. "AND EM-CHAN DRESSED IN ONLY A TOWEL, AND YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO ASK ME 'WHAT'S UP'?" Kakashi glanced down at himself, noting his naked chest and the still relevant bulge in his boxers. Heh-heh…Oops! This didn't look too good, did it?

_'Then again, maybe I can have some fun with this…'_ the silver-haired jounin smiled evilly.

"You caught us at a bad time." Kakashi smirked. "We were just in the middle of something when you knocked. Why don't you try coming back a little later?"

"YOU WHA-?" Gai questioned, mouth ajar in shock.

_'Was I right? Was Kakashi having sex with Em-chan when I knocked?'_ thought Gai.

"NO!" shouted Gai. "I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT! EM-CHAN WOULD NEVER DESECRATE HERSELF IN SUCH A WAY! MAYBE YOU HAVE THE REST OF THE WOMEN IN KONOHA FOOLED, BUT EM-CHAN IS SMARTER THEN THAT! SHE'S ABLE TO SEE RIGHT THROUGH YOU AND YOUR PERVERTED WAYS KAKASHI-SAN, MY ETERNAL RIVAL!" he yelled, pointing his finger and waving his hands frantically. Paying no attention to his friend, Kakashi quickly went over to the fridge and pulled an ice-pack out of the freezer.

_'A bit drastic, but since I can't very well do anything with Gai here...'_

"AND WHAT DO YOU PLAN ON DOING WITH THAT?" Gai questioned, giving the ice-pack a weird look. Preparing himself as best he could, Kakashi continued to ignore Gai as he sat down on the couch and slid the ice-pack down the front of his pants. Wincing slightly, he made sure to cover it with a pillow, before taking out his book.

"ARE YOU NUTS?' Gai questioned, after watching in shock at what the scarecrow had just done.

"Well Emma and I can't do anything with you here, can we?" joked Kakashi.

Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Emma dead-panned hearing Gai's rant.

_'Guess I was right.'_ she sighed. _'At least Gai doesn't believe his own accusations. Which is something to be grateful for at least.'_ Sliding on her belt, Emma then walked out into the living room to see Gai and Kakashi in the middle of an argument. Well…more like to see Gai shouting at Kakashi while the scarecrow read his book, a pillow resting across his lap.

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK SUCH SLANDER ABOUT EM-CHAN! YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF-!"

"Back at last, I see." Kakashi smiled at Emma, cutting Gai off.

"Oh, hello there Em-chan. You just caught me in the middle of scolding Kakashi-san over there." Gai stated as he smiled at Emma.

Emma smiled back in return. "I'd like to apologize for the manner in which you found us earlier. I'd just stepped out of the shower." she explained. "ALONE!" Emma added quickly.

Gai nodded, a relieved smile on his face. "That explains it!" he laughed. "I should've known better. Please forgive me for my earlier accusations, I should've known you'd never be that stupid."

Emma shook her head. "Of course not!" she laughed. Kakashi wasn't about to show it, but that last statement hurt him slightly.

"Anyways…" huffed the scarecrow. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?" Gai blinked thoughtfully, trying to remember the answer to that question.

_'Oh…That's right!' _He nearly forgot it in all the commotion! "I thought that with Chii back and all Em-chan would be moving back in with her. But since Chii isn't out of the hospital yet that would mean that Em-chan would be here in the apartment all alone. So I wanted to invite her to an early breakfast." Gai explained, giving Emma a hopeful/pleading smile.

"Sounds nice, I could go for something to eat." Emma smiled.

"Really? You would?" beamed Gai.

Emma nodded. "I haven't had breakfast yet, so why the hell not?"

"I'll come too." Kakashi stated, putting his book away. Gai wasn't much competition. Actually he wasn't any competition at all. Still, unlike some of the other girls in Konoha, Emma had yet to show any interest in the scarecrow in other then just being friends. And Kakashi wasn't about to chance that Emma would actually fall for him and not himself.

"Just let me get changed. I'll meet you two downstairs." Kakashi stated, giving Gai a _'Just try and stop me!'_ look before discretely abandoning the ice-pack which had served its purpose painfully well under the pillow, and walking over to his own apartment.

Gai sighed in defeat, knowing that Kakashi would come whether he liked it or not. For some reason the Green Beast had thought that this could be his first date with Emma. But with Kakashi tagging along it didn't look like things were going to work out for him. Nevertheless, he decided that it wouldn't hurt to strike up a conversation with the girl while they waited.

"So, you got a boyfriend back home?" he asked nervously. Emma never talked about having one, so maybe if he was lucky she wasn't taken yet? The reaction he got was one not one that he'd expected. Instead of a simple yes or no, Emma replied with a burst of laughter.

"Me? Boyfriend? That's rich!" she chuckled uncontrollably. "Who in their right mind would want to go out with ME?"

Gai looked back at her in shock. "What do you mean?" he asked, awestruck.

"Look at me. I may be okay to look at, but I'm not beautiful." Emma stated, trying her best to control her laughter. "Not to mention my personality requires a distinct taste."

"That's not true."

"Isn't it? I mean, just look at all the other girls my age…" she stated, pointing all around them. "Not only are they beautiful-they're gorgeous! Not a zit, blemish, or split-hair among them! And except for the odd-ball here and there, not a one of them is over-weight! How can ever expect to compete with them?" Looking around, Gai took notice at all the women passing by. He saw women and girls of all shapes and sizes. True, most of them did have flawless complexions, and hardly any were noticeably obese. But they weren't all as gorgeous as she said they were.

"They're not all THAT pretty." he shrugged.

Emma scoffed. "Whatever, you're just saying that 'cuz you're my friend."

"Is he?" asked Kakashi, stepping out of the apartment building. "Or is he right?"

Emma looked up at the scarecrow, grimacing. "What do you know? You wear a mask to hide your face, for Christ sake!"

"So?"

"So…Why would you wear a mask all the time if you didn't have something you wanted to hide?" she asked.

Kakashi chuckled. "My reasons are my own. But it's not because people think I'm ugly. If anything I've been told I'm quite handsome. Isn't that right, Gai?"

"Yeah well…they might say that." scoffed the beast.

"But I thought nobody's seen your face." Emma questioned.

The scarecrow shook his head as he leaned close her. "Don't you remember this morning?" he whispered into her ear.

_'This morning? What happened this…? Oh!'_ she thought, just now remembering that she'd seen him without his mask on. Concentrating on the mental picture of his face in her head, Emma's face began to redden. _'I didn't think about at the moment, because well…because of what happened. But now that I think about it, he didn't look half bad!' _

"Well, are we gonna eat or not?" Gai asked, quickly linking his arm with Emma's as he dragged her towards the restaurant.

**Later… **

"And you should see his chakra levels! They're almost as high as mine!" During their lunch Gai spent the whole time talking to Emma about his prized student Rock Lee, and how his was the best team in town. To which she paid little attention, but made sure to fake interest for the sake of her friend. Meanwhile, all Emma could actually seem to do was to think about Kakashi. Or to be more specific, his face. He was gorgeous! She wasn't sure if they had a Mr. Universe contest here, but she was sure that if they did, Kakashi would win hands-down. So then why did he hide behind a mask all the time?

Kakashi, meanwhile, was having a similar problem. He'd decided the night before that he'd tell Emma how he felt, or at least what he thought he felt. This, of course, was proving to be more difficult then it sounded. First there was the whole embarrassing moment in the bathroom. Then Gai had to come and try to horde-in on his turf. And now…well…let's just say he was trying his hardest to think up a way to properly voice his feelings to her.

Kakashi had never actually told a girl he thought he loved her. And although he'd had his share of dates, he'd never actually taken the time or interest to get to know them better…to develop an actual relationship. Thank God for movies and Jurachi's books, otherwise he'd be totally lost about this. But thankfully he did know a thing or two about the subject, even though he lacked the personal experience in the subject.

'_Let's see…First I'll have to ask Chii where I can find a romantic restaurant. Or better yet, maybe I could hire a chief to come to my apartment? It'd be expensive, but I think she's worth it.'_ Next he'd have to make sure to buy her something. '_It's always a good idea to give girls gifts. It makes them feel special. And Emma is defiantly one of a kind.'_ The last thought made him smile to himself as he watched Emma nod her head and fake a smile at what Gai was saying while stirring her drink. '_Even when she's being bored out of her mind she still tries to be a good friend by faking interest.'_

The scarecrow beamed brighter as he thought of just how wonderful a person Emma truly was. He'd never met anyone quite as…unique as her. Except for maybe Naruto, but Kakashi wasn't in any way attracted to him. At that very moment Emma looked up to see him staring at her. Shocked, she only managed to hold his eye contact for about a second or two before turning her head in embarrassment to hide the blush forming on her cheeks. Her reaction caused the silver-haired jounin to chuckle lightly to himself. Before he could jokingly ask her what the matter was, Gai stood up and kissed Emma's hand goodbye.

"I'm afraid I must leave, for now my team and I must go on our mission." Gai stated, trying to sound debonaire.

Emma sweat-dropped as she pulled her hand away. "Okay then, good luck." she smiled faintly. Gai smiled so brightly as he left, that Kakashi almost got blinded by the glare.

"Shouldn't you go see your team too?" Emma questioned. Well actually yes, he did have to meet up with his students. In fact he was currently 20 minutes late doing so. But that fact didn't bother him in the slightest. Right now all Kakashi wanted was to spend more time with her.

"Nope." smiled the scarecrow. "But there is something else I was meaning to do."

"What?" she asked, slightly afraid by the look the jounin was giving her.

'_Is he smirking under there? Why would he be smirking? And why do his eyes look like they're sparkling?'_ Emma didn't have time to ask before Kakashi got up and grabbed her hand, pulling her out the door with him.

"The heck are we going?" she inquired, trying her best to keep up with his pace.

"You'll see…" he smiled, guiding her through the streets towards their destination.

'_That helps!'_ Emma thought sarcastically. They'd been running for ten minutes now and Emma's legs were starting give out. "Kakashi…I…don't think I can…" she panted. Nodding in understanding, Kakashi stopped then lifted her into his arms bridal style. Too shocked and tired to scream, Emma clung tightly around his neck as he leapt up onto a rooftop and darted towards an unknown destination. '_Now I know how Kagome feels!'_ she smiled to herself.

Five minutes later they finally stopped outside of what appeared to be a woman's clothing store. Emma looked up at him questioningly, wondering why he'd brought her here.

"Here it is!" Kakashi smiled, setting her down on the ground.

"Uhh…yeah." she smiled faintly. "But why are we here?"

Kakashi shrugged as he held the door open for her. "I thought you might want some new clothes. The ones you have now are just fine, but you tend to stick out a little." Looking at her attire, then that of those around her, Emma had to agree that he was right.

"Yeah, well…I guess I do look weirder then usual." Kakashi would've given anything to have said something romantic and charming. Something like 'You look perfect…to me.' Or 'I like weird.' Even 'And I'm normal?' Anything would've been better then what he'd actually said next.

"Trust me, the sooner you're out of those clothes, the better." Oh, the insinuations this brought to mind! No sooner had those words come out of his mouth, did the two of them turn redder then a tomato. "I mean…um…after you!" he stammered slightly, mentally kicking himself as he walked in behind Emma.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry again for the wait. Please remember to R/R. 


	8. Boulevard of Broken Dreams

**A/N:** I made a slight yet hopefuly improving change to the slight lemon in this chappie-the part where Kakashi has Emma pinned against the wall behind the bar where she works. Yeah...hope everyone is happy with the change, I know I am!

* * *

As she was trying on several clothes in the changing room, a sudden realization came to Emma. 'How does he expect me to pay for these clothes when I haven't even gotten paid yet? Or maybe...does he plan on lending me the money until I do get paid.' That would be a nice thing to do-assuming that it was true. Then again…

'Don't guys usually buy clothes as gifts for the girls they're dating, or want to date? If he actually is willing to lend me the money, then maybe…' Could it be possible that...? Could Kakashi...? _'NO! There's no way! Who could like me? Let alone wanna date me? There's no possible way! I'm just a friend to him, defiantly NOT a love interest!' _It was a nice thought though, even if it was impossible. Sure, Kakashi was way cute and Emma would give almost anything to have someone like him as her first boyfriend, but she knew better. She had seen the girls that Kakashi liked, and she looked nothing like them. That meant that the only two possible reasons for Kakashi bringing her here was either:

1-He didn't know Emma was flat broke and thought she had the money to pay for the clothes.

Or

2-He wanted to lend her the money for the new clothes as symbol of their friendship.

But which was it? There was only one way to find out.

"Ah...Kakashi, how am I gonna pay for these clothes?" No answer. _'That's strange, I could've sworn he was right…'_ "Kakashi?" she asked, peeking out the curtain slightly. The site that greeted her caused Emma's eyes to practically bulge out of their sockets.

"So how do these look, Kakashi-kun?" an extremely sexy woman clad in revealing lingerie asked as she sat on the scarecrow's lap, stroking a rather apparent bulge in his pants.

"They…uh, um…Great! They look just great!" Kakashi stammered, blushing slightly. He quickly backed away from her.

'_Okay… I didn't need, nor want, to see THAT!' _Emma thought disgustedly. If nothing else, that affirmed her belief that nothing romantic could ever happen between her and the jounin. So, changing quickly back into her own clothes, Emma decided to leave the store so that she wouldn't disturb the two lovebirds as they "enjoyed" themselves. "I'll, uh...see you later Kakashi." Emma stated, adverting her eyes and waving goodbye as she left the store.

"Yeah, sure thi-" _Enter the sudden realization that the woman he thinks he's in love with is now leaving, in 3...2...1..._ "WAIT!" Kakashi yelled, pushing the woman off his lap and running after Emma.

"Wait? For what?" Emma asked, turning around. "It's apparent that I'm just being a third wheel back there, so why don't you go back to your little slu-I mean-girlfriend, before she gets upset and leaves." His girlfriend? Is that what she thought? Then again, with the way he was acting in there he could understand how she'd take it that way. What with the scantly clad girl massaging his member he could't really help but react unconsciously. It wasn't intentional. He had no interest in her.…Boy, he really made a mess of this, didn't he?

Kakashi shook his head, "She's not my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend, lover, friend with benefits, whatever…" she shrugged as she turned around to leave, only to bump right into the scarecrow's chest. '_I really wish he wouldn't do that_.'

"She's none of those, I swear!"

Stopping, Emma sighed. "Not to be rude, but why do you even care what I think? I mean, it's not like it has anything to do with me, so why should I care? It's your life, do with it what you will. Not to imply that I don't care about what happens to you-'cuz I do. You're one of the coolest people I've ever met, you know? I meant was, well…"

Good, so she wasn't pissed with him. Kakashi smiled. "The important thing is that I came here with you, not her. It was kinda rude of me to just ignore you when it was my idea to come here to begin with." Jeez, this whole confessing his feelings thing was harder then he thought, and it wasn't going to get easier if he kept messing up like that!

"Assuming that was an apology, you're forgiven." Emma smiled. "Just answer this-how was I to pay for the clothes anyways? Not that you would've known, but I haven't gotten paid yet."

"I know, I was gonna buy them for you as a gift."

Emma's eyes sparkled. "You mean, because we're friends?"

Kakashi looked down at her, slightly perplexed at what to say. "Uhh…yeah, sure." No sooner were those words spoken when Emma tackled the scarecrow in a bear-hug, squealing happily. Head pounding from the fall, Kakashi blushed furiously as he held her around the waist, taking the opportunity to smell her hair as she lay atop him. If he'd known buying her clothes would make her THIS happy, he would've done so sooner.

**Later…**

Unlocking the door to the apartment, Emma gestured for Kakashi to set the bags he'd offered to carry upon the one living room chairs. "Thanks a lot for the clothes, and for carrying them here." Emma smiled, switching on the lights. "I know you said they were a gift, but I still wanna pay you back."

"I don't want your money."

Emma shrugged, "Okay, then something else then?"

"Like what?" Kakashi asked, eyebrow raised as he watched her carry the bags into the bedroom. Hey, a guy could dream, couldn't he?

"How about you stay for dinner?" Damn. Oh well…

"If you insist."

"Good then, it's settled." Emma smiled as she emerged from the bedroom. The entire meal was spent talking about Kakashi's missions and Emma's job. Not exactly what the scarecrow had in mind, but Emma had beat him to starting the conversation. So, still unsure how precisely vocalize his feelings, he conceded and resorted to playing twenty questions. After dinner he offered to help with the dishes. "Thanks, but it's okay, really. You don't have to."

Kakashi shook his head, "I know I don't, but I want to." That said he took the dishes from Emma and put them into the sink, pouring in the soap and water. "I'll wash if you rinse."

Slightly caught off guard, Emma stood there blinking for a second before answering. "I guess, if you insist." Once again Kakashi was at loss of how to go about confessing his feelings. Should he just come out and say it? Or should he see how she felt first? Feeling uneasy within their silence, Emma asked Kakashi about how he got Pakkun to talk human. Thus continued their previous conversation.

Meanwhile, all throughout the meaningless task of cleaning the dishes the two kept bumping into one another and touching the other subtly and innocently. After all, when two people are doing the dishes together they are in very close proximity and therefore can't avoid the inevitable brush here and there. Nevertheless each time this happened it sent a small tingle coursing through the two, as a lasting impression of the other's touch burned into the other's skin.

"So then, I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" Emma stated as she set the last dish in the drying rack.

"I guess so, good night." Kakashi nodded as he made himself comfy on the couch.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting ready for bed, what does it look like?"

Emma stared at the scarecrow. "No shit Sherlock-I know that, I'm not as stupid as I look. What I meant was, why are you sleeping here? Your apartment is down the hall."

"I'm your guard, remember?" Kakashi smiled. Ugh, not this again. The shinobi never gave up, did he?

"Fine, sleep there if you insist." Emma huffed. "But I highly doubt anybody is actually going to take me away, who'd want me?"

"Who wouldn't?" he smirked. Did the scarecrow say such things intentionally to embarrass her? Did he enjoy seeing her face turn a million shades of red as her eyes bugged out? It sure seemed like it! It was almost as if it was job! Or so Emma thought.

"Yes, well…good night." Emma stuttered before rushing to the bedroom, closing the door swiftly behind her.

'_What was I thinking earlier?' _Ever since Emma had gone to sleep all Kakashi could do was to keep going back over the events of the day. How could he have gotten so distracted by the woman, when she meant nothing to him? Could it be that he was so weak he couldn't control his body's unconscious impulses? _'Or maybe…?'_

Maybe the feeling he thought he had weren't what he construed them to be? Maybe his first impression was right, maybe it was just infatuation? _'No, I won't believe it.'_ He'd been infatuated many times before, he knew what it felt like. Somehow, he knew, this feeling was different. But then, why did he allow that strange woman to do that? If he honestly did love Emma then he would have slapped her hand away, she should be the only one he ever looked at. She should've been the only woman he ever thought about, the only one to turn him on. Well, at least that's what he thought, according to Jiraiya's novels. So then, why did he let her get away with touching him?

After hours of contemplating the scarecrow final came to a conclusion. He would try his best to forget about Emma and his romantic feelings for her, and then he would go back to his missions, _Icha Icha_ books, and bottles of hand lotion. If what he was feeling actually was infatuation then he would get over Emma and move on. If however he couldn't forget her, if he couldn't move on, then he would know once and for all that it was love.

That morning Emma woke up to something she didn't expect-Maito Gai hovering over her, merely an inch from her face. "ACK!" she yelled, startled at his sudden close proximity. Even though he was a jounin, Gai was shocked by her sudden outburst and went flying backwards; as a result the contents of his hands a bowl and glass were sent flying into the air. "Holy fuck'n shit, what the hell are you doing here?!" Swiftly catching the falling objects, Gai caught the bowl and glass with great ease. The bowl consisted of oatmeal, eggs, and bacon-the eggs and bacon forming a smiley face atop the oatmeal.

"No need to fear, Konoha's Green Beast is here to watch over you!" Gai smiled, placing the bowl and cup of juice on the nightstand.

"Where's Kakashi?" Not that she didn't appreciate the breakfast in bed, still…

"He will no longer be your guard, instead you shall have none other then myself to keep an eye on you and protect you from the forces of evil."

"Lucky me." Emma smiled sarcastically, trying her best no to look Gai directly in his face for fear of being blinded by his gleaming teeth. Did he clean those things with some kind of bleach-polish?

"When you're done eating I've taken the liberty of pouring your bubble bath."

"Bubble bath?"

Gai smiled. "When your done with that I should have your clothes laying out here for you."

"My clothes…, you're picking them out?"

"Next I've planned for us to work out in woods together, followed by a picnic and then-"

"Hold on a minute Jeeves." Emma stated, gulping down her juice. "Your orders were to protect me, right?"

Gai nodded happily. "Yes, but I would do so gladly even if it weren't my mission."

"Thanks. Anyways, not that I don't appreciate it, but at no time was I told that you would be my butler. The attention is kinda flattering, and the breakfast was good too-as good as oatmeal could possibly be, but if you don't mind I think I shall be the one to decide what I do and don't do today, okay?"

"So then, you didn't like the oatmeal?" he asked, looking slightly dejected.

Emma deadpanned. "I don't like oatmeal, no-but I ate it for you, okay?" The jounin apparently took it to mean that she liked him as his face turned red and his smile glistened brighter then ever. Smiling back faintly, Emma got up and went to take the bath he'd prepared. _'I guess it'd be rude to let it go to waste, after all he did go through all that trouble.'_

Stepping into the bathroom, Emma's jaw dropped. Candles, flower petals, and incense decorated the bathroom. _'What in the…?'_ "Uh…thanks?" Emma stated, waving at Gai and closing the door behind her. _'Not that he would, but maybe I should lock the door-just in case?'_

What on earth possessed Gai to do this? It was all too much. Nice, but still…it was kinda freaky the way he looked at her, and all the attention he gave her. Emma wasn't use to being treated like this, not in the least, and quite frankly she didn't know how to handle all this. _'Let's just hope he doesn't end up like one of those psycho-stalker-killers in the movies.' _She shuddered at that thought as she sank into the warm bath water. _'Still, a girl could get use to this.'_

"Did Em-chan like the breakfast and bubble bath, Gai-sensei?" Rock Lee asked. As Gai's most prominent and trusted student, Lee was asked if he could help take care of Emma. Not one to disappoint his sensei, and hoping to get some useful advice he could with Sakura, Lee readily agreed. Neji and Tenten, however, declined their sensei's offer to help him.

"Affirmative my star pupil, our mission so far is a great success!" Gai proclaimed, giving a thumbs-up and flashing one of his blinding smiles.

"All right, time for stage two!"

"Negative, Lee. I'm afraid that my little Em-chan doesn't wish to train or have a picnic."

"What?! But I worked so hard preparing your ideas!"

"I know Lee, but every great man knows never to force a woman to do something she doesn't want to do, it only leads to trouble. Besides, her unpredictable ways and spontaneous attitude are two of the many reasons I admire Em-chan so."

"Gai-sensei, how could any woman not want to be with you? You're so awesome!"

"I know, and with my eternal rival-Kakashi-now out of the way there is nobody left to challenge me in winning Em-chan's heart!"

"Victory will be ours!" Gai and Lee chanted simultaneously, posing like some ninja version of the Ginyu squad.

It had now been about two months since Gai took over for Kakashi in guarding Emma and she'd just about had enough of the jounin.

'_Annoying pain-in-the-ass stalker is more like it!'_ If she wasn't being bombarded with stories of how great the Green Beast was, turning down his relentless requests to take a walk and check out some romantic hot-spot, or rejecting his countless offers for help in even the most mundane tasks, then she was listening to yet another analogy about how beautiful she was. Now it's not like Emma didn't enjoy the occasional compliment or two, but the shinobi took it a little too far. If nothing else Gai was blindly persistent. _'On the up-side Chii is FINALLY being released tomorrow!'_

As for the infamous copy ninja, his time was spent on trying to return to activities before Emma's arrival. Training, missions with his team, and the occasional alone-time with his _Icha-Icha_ collection. At first no matter what he did Kakashi's thoughts would find their way back to her, but over time such thoughts were suppressed and eventually forgotten.

"So, how long do you plan on hiding there, Master Jiraiya?"

"I dunno, how long have you been avoiding that woman?" Jiraiya replied, leaving his spot to stand next to Kakashi.

"Avoiding?"

"I've been observing some rather interesting changes in your behavior the past few days I've been here." Jiraiya stated. "The increase in away missions, your recurring absence from Genki, the way you change the topic every time SHE'S mentioned, and the obvious fact that you seem to be avoiding her like the plague. I have to say, I never imagined you to fall for the homely type."

Kakashi closed his book, cocking his eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Well, it's not like I blame you." the Pervy Sage smirked. "This Em-chan has her own, shall we say, uniquely charming personality. If I didn't know better I'd think she were Tsunade's daughter or something. And even though she isn't the optimum of what I'd call sexy, she does have a certain…"

"A certain what?" the scarecrow interjected.

Jiraiya smiled. "Oh, you know exactly what I mean. Just look…" Kakashi looked in the direction that was indicated, finding Em-chan laughing at something Taku had said as he helped her unload some boxes outside the bar. Emma had managed to lose Gai by saying she had to use the restroom then climbing out the back window. Taku seemed rather close and Emma was obviously enjoying his company.

"What about it?" the jounin questioned, a tad perturbed.

"See, that's what I mean!" smiled Jiraiya. "Even now you seem to be slightly jealous that another man shows interest in her."

Kakashi looked at the sanin with supposed fake interest. "Is that so?"

"You'd have to be blind or stupid not to notice the signs."

"Such as?"

"Well for starters there's the increase in heart rate, the scent of raging hormones, the subtle changes in your posture, and the fact that you've yet to draw your sight away from her figure. I may not be a med-nin or Hyuuga, but I can notice the subtle signs that indicate when a person is in love. How else do you think I became such a renowned author?"

Kakashi took his gaze from the couple and looked at the knowing smirk upon Jiraiya's face. "Childish infatuation." he waved off.

"Is that so? Then I guess you wouldn't mind if someone else were to try and take her for themselves, huh?"

"Of course not, Em-chan may date whomever she wishes."

"Well that's good to hear, seeing as Taku just kissed her." Within a split second Kakashi had jumped down from his perch and held Taku up against the wall by his throat, Chidori raging from his other hand.

"Touch my woman again and I'll kill you."

--

"Why don't you just tell her how you feel?" Emma asked Taku as the two unloaded boxes.

Taku shook his head. "I can't do that!"

"Why not? You're a pretty cool guy, and you don't look half bad. Chii would have to be blind and stupid not to go out with you."

"Thanks, but I'd be too embarrassing." the bartender sighed. "I wouldn't know what to say."

"Hey Chii, I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me to dinner one night?" Emma stated in a husky male voice. "The worst that could happen is she'll say no, it's not like she's gunna laugh in your face or anything-Chii is too nice to do that."

"But what if I freeze-up?"

"I'll light you on fire to melt the ice."

Taku laughed slightly. "Okay smart-ass, but what if she says no?"

"You either move on or keep trying." she shrugged.

"It's not that easy…"

Emma sighed. "Nothing in life worth having is ever easy. However, if you'd like, I'll pretend to be Chii for you."

"What'll that do?"

"It'll help you get more confident."

"How?"

"You can't possibly be THAT dense!" Emma laughed. "Okay, I take it from your reaction that you are that dense. Look, I'll try to make this as easy as I can. I'll pretend to be Chii, you ask me out, and I'll give you my answer. Doing this will help you practice asking her out and to gain confidence doing so. Got it?"

Taku nodded. "I can do that…I think."

"Good, now ask me out."

Clearing his throat, Taku bent over slightly and held her hand. "Chii, I would be eternally grateful if you would do me the honor of accompanying me to dinner tonight." Upon saying this, he kissed Emma on the hand.

"Laying it on thick aren't you?" Emma joked. Taku grimaced. "Okay, okay…I, Chii, would be honored to-" Before Emma could finish her statement Kakashi came flying in and pinned Taku to the wall.

"Touch my woman again and I'll kill you." growled the scarecrow, sparks of lightening emanating from his hand.

"If this about Taku falling on Cho, it was an accident-I saw it myself!" Emma stated, grabbing Kakashi's arm that was holding Taku.

The jounin turned to look at her, confusion and slight pain showing in his face. "Cho?" he asked, dropping the bartender and suppressing Chidori. She thought he was upset about what happened to Cho?

"You see, Taku was carrying a tray and didn't see this bag on the floor…" Emma stated.

Just then Jiraiya walked over to the three. "Excuse me, but I don't believe that's what Kakashi was talking about." he smiled sheepishly. The Sannin never expected the Copy-Cat to act the way he did.

"Then what?" Emma asked, looking between the two men.

Jiraiya chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "You wanna tell her Kakashi, or should I?"

"Tell me what?" Emma asked, gazing at the scarecrow. "What's this about?" What was this about? It'd been several weeks since Kakashi last thought about Emma; he thought he was over her. So then why did he react the way he did? It didn't make sense. Unless…

"I was, uh…kinda jealous." he stated above a whisper.

"But why? Taku likes Chii, not Cho."

"It's not about Chii or Cho, it's about you."

"About me? What did I do?" Emma asked, unsure of how she upset him.

The jounin sighed, suddenly finding the floor the most entertaining thing to look at. "It's not about anything you did, not really. It's about, well…you see…"

Emma stepped closer to Kakashi, bending over to look up at his face. "Yes?"

'_Why can't life be like an Icha Icha book?'_

"Kakashi? What's wrong?" Emma asked, worried.

"I think we should give these two some room." Jiraiya stated, helping Taku up and walking him into the back of the bar. Emma watched as the two men left, leaving her alone with the scarecrow.

Unsure of what to do or say, Emma suddenly felt rather uncomfortable. "I don't know what it was I did or didn't do to upset you but-"

"Please, just give me a chance and I know I can make you happy, happier then Taku ever could."

"Taku?" Emma questioned. "Who says I want Taku?"

"Well, then why did you kiss him?"

"Kiss Taku?! Are crazy?! I've never kissed anybody before!"

"But he just kissed you a few minutes ago!"

Emma looked at the jounin, trying hard to make sense of he just said. "You mean when I was helping Taku and he kissed me on the hand?"

"He kissed you…on the hand? Not the lips?" Kakashi asked, making a mental note to throttle the Pervy Sage the next time he saw him.

"Uh…no, that would just be gross. Why would I kiss-?" Just then her sentence was interrupted by Kakashi pinning her against the wall as his lips collided with her own. Surprised to say the least, Emma froze as her heart raced, unsure of how to respond. Before she could do anything she felt his hand reach up and cup her breast as his tongue brushed against her lips, begging for entrance.

"Kakashi, what are-" she tried to speak, only to be cut-off by the jounin's tongue as it entered her mouth. His kiss was tense and passionate, it felt as though he was trying to drain the life from her very being. However, before she knew it he broke the kiss and began to plant firm yet gentle kisses along her collarbone. Breathing in deeply, almost gasping for air, Emma tried in vein to stop her head from spinning even more then it already was.

"I want you." Kakashi growled, his voice husky as he began to nibble on her right ear. "I want you for myself, I won't let anyone else have you." Pulling away slightly, Kakashi looked Emma in her eyes. "I want to make you mine." He then grabbed her butt with one hand and lifted her up against the wall, pulling her closer until she felt his hardened member between her legs. Thank Kami they were both fully dressed!

Swallowing hard, Emma tried her best to answer. "Yes, well…I, um…"

**_Swoosh!_**

"UGH!" Before either one knew it a kunai lodged itself into Kakashi's back.

"Now, isn't this touching?" came a voice from the shadows. "I hate to ruin such a touchingly romantic moment, but I've got a job to do." Emma watched in shock as the scarecrow turned around, kunai still in his back, and took a protective stance in front of her.

"Stay close!" he whispered. "And when I say so, run inside to safety and get help."

"O-okay!" she stammered, nodding.

**_Woosh!_**

**_Clang!_**

In a flash a shadowed figure came springing at Kakashi, shuriken wooshing ahead, but the jounin was able to block the attack just in the nick of time.

'_If I didn't know any better, I'd say this guy was a member of the Foot!' _Emma thought, remembering watching _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ in her youth. _'The only difference is that his mask looks like Slade's from _Teen Titians_.'_ Emma watched in awe as the two shinobi battled it out a mere foot or two before her. Her eyes darted between the two men's figures as thoughts of some kind of impending doom lurked within her mind.

"Now Emma, go!"

"B-but what about you?"

"I'll be fine, just go-NOW!" Nodding in recognition, Emma did as Kakashi instructed and bolted for the door. Just as her hand touched the knob a hand covered her mouth, muffling her screams, while another snaked around her waist.

"Say a word and I'll have my friend up there kill your lover." the person holding her hissed, then turned her head towards another shadowed figure perched atop an adjacent rooftop with what looked like a shotgun aimed towards Kakashi. Eyes widened in shock, Emma nodded her head in understanding as the person thrust her over their shoulder and took to the roofs.

Suddenly, Kakashi was thrown into a wall by the rogue nin, making his breath hitch as the kunai delved deeper into his back, although his vest stopped it some, it still pierced a few inches in. He took hold of it and stood up while glaring at the man. Tearing it out of his back, he whipped it at the enemy. With expertise, the rouge dodged easily and took out a few shuriken before throwing them at Kakashi. Kakashi, in turn, dodged but just barely. Pulling his forehead protector up, he activated the sharingan and glared fiercely.

"What do you want with her?!" he yelled.

The man smirked, "Like I'd tell you!" he snapped. Kakashi growled and ran at him with Chidori and tried striking his opponent. The man dodged again and jumped into the air while doing a few hand-seals. "Dragon, wolf fire-blast!" and blew, Kakashi's eyes widened and he jumped out of the way, his leg being grazed lightly by said flame; he put it out quickly and looked back. The man was smirking smugly while Kakashi panted slightly and he stood at the top of a pole while watching Kakashi move. "The famous Scarecrow...already using your sharingan on me, I'm honored," he said sarcastically. Kakashi glared and took out a kunai and flung it at him before jumping into the air and doing some hand-seals.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" he multiplied and they all attacked at the same time, each one being off'd by the enemy nin.

"I was hoping for more than that," the rouge said dryly. Kakashi was actually creeping behind him but he turned and struck Kakashi in the stomach with a kunai before frowning when it turned out to be a log.

"Replacement jutsu...crap," he growled and looked around. Kakashi came back with his Chidori again and just barely grazed the enemy's side. His opponent countered with his Earth-Shatter blow. Off in the distance, a mini-army of other nin took the microscopic earthquake as initiative to start the diversion. They stormed the Hokage's building. Once the call had been made, almost every nin was fighting at the battle. The one that had Emma nodded at the other nin that had the rifle and he nodded back before cocking the gun and Emma let out a muffled "No!" before biting down onto his hand and grabbing a rock before throwing it at said rifle user and just as he was about to shoot, it hit him on the side of the face, making his fire go off balance.

"Why you little...!" he grabbed her and knocked her out before hightailing it to the gate and out of the village. Kakashi heard the fire and looked around, seeing the bullet hole a few feet from his head, his eyes widened slightly before a flurry of senbon made their way down and onto him. He let out a pained groan and swore under his breath before looking around, trying to determine the source of said attack. Seeing his opponent's chakra, he did a few hand-seals again and positioned another attack with Chidori before the rogue appeared again and had his Earth-Shatter blow. They both struck at the exact same time to make a ricochet and flung them both back into the street and into an alley. The rouge stood up shakily, being thrown into a wall and then looked as Kakashi stood up also, a bit more so that himself though. He smirked and watched as Kakashi ran at him again with another kunai, jumping into the air and throwing a group of shuriken and then kunai down into the ground.

"Pathetic!" he spat but Kakashi did another hand-seal, jumped onto the roof and waited for the one exploding tag to detonate. It did...and the enemy ninja was sent sailing into the street before he growled and ran back into the alleyway and jumping up and onto the roof. Kakashi did another jutsu, thus causing mist to form around them. The enemy ninja looked around and then laughed out loud. "You think this little hiding technique will work on ME?!" he yelled and took out the rest of his kunai, shuriken and senbon before starting to spin in a circle, causing the mist to stir and thus making a mini-tornado as the weapons were flung out in all directions.

Kakashi was on the ground and looking at all the weapons above him. He jumped up, saw the cyclone and his eyes widened when he saw a scythe coming straight at him. He flipped in the air, caught said weapon and then used Kage Bunshin again and collected some of the weapons before the mist cleared completely and his opponent jumped out and tried slashing Kakashi across the chest with a metallic claw. Kakashi countered by holding up the scythe and blocking said attack and trying to decapitate the rouge. "Tell me your name!" he growled out as they were in the air still.

The man smirked, "My opponent wishes to know my name...? It's Nobuo," he said and pushed away before flipping back onto the roof.

Kakashi landed on top of a tree and still held the scythe. "Your mother went the wrong way with your name...you're far from noble!" he snarled. Nobuo growled and jumped at him again while Kakashi did the same. They both clashed again but Nobuo took out a kunai and struck Kakashi in the stomach, this time Kakashi did not turn into a log. He gasped at the intrusion and his eyes widened in bewilderment. When they landed, Kakashi flipped away from Nobuo and went back into the alleyway in fear of injuring anyone. Nobuo followed and Kakashi turned back around.

"There's no hiding from me Hatake!" he called shrilly. Kakashi held his stomach where the kunai still resided and looked around for an escape or an idea as to what to do. Seeing the door, he frowned when he heard someone approaching. He quickly went back to work of fighting and Nobuo was already waiting. Kakashi took out a kunai and thrust it into Nobuo's side. Nobuo jumped and Kakashi jumped as well, they both did hand-seals at the exact same time and Nobuo glared.

"STOP COPYING ME!" he yelled and did his Earth-Shatter blow jutsu, as did Kakashi once more. They both hit each other, Kakashi getting hit in the stomach and Nobuo getting grazed by the blast on his side. They both fell to the ground and stood up. Kakashi fell to one knee and groaned. Just when Nobuo thought he won, the door swung open and Jiraiya stepped out with two women on either side of him. He was laughing whole-heartedly before Kakashi looked up.

"Jiraiya, GET OUT OF HERE!" he yelled and made a pained sound half way between a gasp and a yell. The two women screamed and ran back inside the club and Jiraiya growled.

"I WAS JUST ABOUT TO GET WITH THEM!" he yelled and generated the rasengan, running at Nobuo, he thrust it into Nobuo's chest, just barely missing his heart. Nobuo swore out loud and then held his chest as well as his side while flipping backwards and landing a few feet away.

"A Sannin, ne?" he muttered before glaring at Kakashi. "You're lucky this time..." he smirked. "We've got the girl," he added before teleporting out of there and somewhere safe.

**Much Later…**

As she ran through the treetops alongside Jiraiya and Kakashi, Chii's mind wandered back to the events of earlier that day.

"The Hokage will see you now, Mr. Hatake." Kakashi got up and swiftly entered into the next room, a hidden rage burning in his eyes.

"Is it just me, or does it seem like Kakashi is taking this personally?" Chii asked as the door slammed behind the peeved Jounin.

"What do you expect?" Jiraiya stated. "That was HIS woman they took."

Chii glanced over questionably at the Sanin. "What?"

"You mean you didn't notice?"

"Obviously."

Jiraiya laughed. "It seems as though Konoha's infamous Copy Ninja has claimed Em-chan as his own."

"But…I thought she wasn't his type, you know?"

"Of course, what would Kakashi want with a woman who shares his sense of humor, hasn't bothered him about his mask, seems almost as broken inside as he is, and who's fun to be around?"

"That's not what I meant." Chii frowned.

"Em-chan might not be as voluptuous and easy as the girls in the books he reads, which are best sellers mind you, but from what I can tell those two share some kind of bond, a sense of not belonging."

Chii nodded. "You know, for such a perv you sure are surprisingly sensitive."

"Does that mean you'd like to accompany me back to my hotel room tonight?" Jiraiya smirked.

**SMACK!**

"I'll take that as a maybe." Jiraiya laughed, rubbing his cheek where Chii had left her fist imprinted.

'_Em-chan might not be as voluptuous and easy as the girls in the books he reads…but from what I can tell those two share some kind of bond, a sense of not belonging.'_ Jiraiya's words played back in her head. She'd never really thought about it before, but Kakashi did seem to hide a sense of loneliness and sorrow within his usually cheerful self. '_Maybe he still hasn't gotten over the loss of his father, Obito, and Rin yet?'_

Though nobody ever really talked about it much, the incidents were known to those old enough to remember. And though he'd tried hard to hide it even back then, it was obvious to everyone that the loss of those people had affected him greatly. '_He always seems so calm and happy though. And although I was in the hospital for a while there, I can't ever remember seeing Em-chan cry.'_ she thought. They both acted so normal, like nothing was wrong.

'_But now that I think about it, it should've been more obvious. After all, Kakashi has lost all those closest to him, and Em-chan's family was killed by rouge nins. How hard must the two of them work to appear one way on the outside, while they're really feeling quite the opposite inside?'_ Chii sighed, feeling quite sorry for her two friends, as she picked up the pace to catch up with her traveling companions. '_It's no wonder Kakashi likes her, they're the same. But, does Em-chan feel the same way? What am I saying? Of coarse she does! Kakashi is Konoha's #1 bachelor, who wouldn't like him?'_

**Meanwhile, in Anei…**

"Don't give me that! It WAS yours after all! If anybody would know how it works, you should!"

Emma moaned in pain as the man slapped her once again. "I already told you, I don't! Do I look like a fuck'n mechanic to you?" For three days she'd been confined to this hellhole. A room little bigger then a one car garage, with cold stone walls and floors. A pile of dirt and rubble in one corner proved to be somewhat of a bed for her, while she was stripped of her clothing-forced to remain naked and occasionally fed Lord only knows what with what tasted like muddy water to drink.

"You lie!" the man screamed, picking her up by the throat. "Tell me the truth or I'll kill you now!"

"Then kill me and get it over with already, damn it!" she cried, tears escaping. With little hope remaining that her new friends would mount a rescue and come to save her, Emma had been wishing for a release from this mortal coil since she got here. Her back was aching from her "bed", she was starving and thirsty, she had dirt in places she never knew she had, and she was covered in wounds inflicted by this jackass who spent countless hours interrogating her about things she didn't know to begin with. Questions about how she got here, how to build/work her laptop, technical things about her car, etc. If it wasn't one thing it was another.

"Perhaps I will, wretch!" the man spat, his grip on her throat tightening until she fell into unconsciousness. "But not now-no-for now you will live, as is the wish of Lord Yokoshima." A cruel smirk playing across his face, the man tossed Emma's limp body onto the pile of rubble and exited out the door.

"See to her wounds." he commanded a soldier. "We don't want our little guest dying on us just yet."

'_How long have I been here?' _she wondered, huddled in her corner. Was it days? Weeks maybe? She couldn't tell for sure. All sense of time and what little was left her sanity had been virtually whipped away by that man, that vile and despicable excuse for a human being. For the past few days or so his interrogations techniques had taken a drastic step forward, or was it backwards? In either case, Emma frequently found herself being subjected to some kind mind-altering technique. He called it his **Spirit Chain Attack **(_Kokoro Rensa no Jutsu_), but it reminded her more of the Vulcan Mind-Meld technique in the way it was preformed.

Basically all he had to do was make some special hand seals and come into physical contact with any part of her body, usually her chest or head, and then he had almost total access to her mind. Her thoughts and memories were his to know, and her mind was his to mold into what he so wished. Kinda like the Sharingan technique Itachi used on Kakashi and Sasuke. The pain was unbearable, often causing her to pass-out in a cold sweat. Often times she thought she might actually be dead, the only indication that she was still alive was the constant pain surging throughout her entire body. If it only it was the physical pain, she could've endured that much better, but it was the way this sick fuck toyed with her emotions that made Emma wish for sweet death. '_What a relief that would be!' _Just then she was ripped from her mangled thoughts as the door to her prison opened, reveling the face of her perpetual tormentor smirking from ear to ear.

"Time to play." he snickered, quickly crossing the room and pushing her roughly against the wall. The next thing she knew Emma was being transported across time and space to her life growing-up in grade school. The faces off those that hurt her, the looks they gave her, the vicious names they called her, the loneliness that not even her friends and family knew, and that feeling of worthlessness she felt those countless nights she cried herself to sleep. How she had fought so hard to not show her true feelings, to be as cheerful and happy as she could possibly pretend to be. Tears started to roll down her cheeks as the boy she once fawned appeared before her. For seven years she'd secretly admired him from afar. Then, on the day they were to receive their diplomas, she'd decided to confront him.

"I-I love you." she said, glancing at her feet. His reply was to laugh at her.

"Yeah well, why in the world would I want to be with a loser like you?" he spat. As tears poured from her eyes unrestrained, a different image appeared before her…Kakashi. That night that seemed so long ago, the night he confessed his true feelings for her. As she watched from outside her body she saw the kiss they'd shared. Only, it was different this time. As the figures of Kakashi and herself pulled away her face turned into that of Chii's.

'_But, I thought…'_ Just then Chii and Kakashi turned towards her, just now realizing her.

"Oh Emma, I have the greatest news!" squealed Chii. "Kakashi proposed, and I said yes! We're gonna get married!" Emma looked on in shock as Chii presented her with the engagement ring adorning her ring-finger.

"Oh." Emma sighed heavily, forcing as sincere a smile as she could muster-up. "I'm so happy for you two." She watched as the happy couple held each other and kissed before saying their good-byes to her. She stood there for quite some time, watching as their figures slipped farther and farther away. '_How stupid could I've been!' _she laughed half-heartedly. _'To think that anybody could actually like, let alone LOVE, me-ME! What a laugh! I was delusional to ever think that Kakashi could, that he could ever…'_ Once again tears poured down her face unchecked as she fell to her knees and started to cough she cried so hard.

'_Oh, poor Emma…'_ came that voice, his voice. _'To be alive when nobody wants you to be, how horrible that be!'_ he teased her.

'_Shut up, leave me alone!'_ she screamed. _'I've done nothing to you-NOTHING! Just please, leave me alone!'_

'_Now what kind of fun would that be?'_ Thus began several straight hours of pure, unadulterated torture.

**Meanwhile…**

For the last two days Kakashi and his team had spent every waking moment rushing ever closer to the Anein village. When they stopped it was only for a few hours, and only to eat and rest. Of course it was only Chii and Jiraiya who did any actual resting, Kakashi was too busy brooding to himself about how he let some enemy ninja get the best of him and take off with HIS woman. '_Just I finally figure out how I feel, and I actually admit it to her! I thought maybe this was it, my chance to actually be happy again, but then…'_

"UGH!" Kakashi screamed as he punched a tree and sent it sailing back several feet.

"Kakashi, are you alright?" Chii asked, bringing him over his dinner. He turned around, a glimmer of unchecked rage flickering in his eyes before he quickly regained his usual air of aloofness.

"Don't worry about me Chii, I'll be fine." he smiled faintly. "It's Em-chan you should be worrying about."

"I am, everyone else is too. Jiraiya, Naruto, Sakura, Gai, Lee, Hokage-sama, Iruka, and even Sasuke-though you wouldn't know it, they're all worried about her. Em-chan might be new in the village, and she's defiantly different-but she's still a friend, that's why we're here. And we're gonna get her back Kakashi, no matter what-I promise."

"I know, thanks."

"That's okay, just trying to help out a friend."

**Elsewhere…**

"How much longer until we're ready?"

"According to my estimates we're currently ahead of schedule, it shouldn't be much longer, Lord Yokoshima."

"Make sure of that, lest your son's life means nothing to you." Lord Yokoshima stated with a cold, cruel smirk upon his face as he gazed upon the results of his well planned scheme.

"Yes Sir, will do. And what of our captive?"

"What of It?"

"Well Sir, we've learned all we can from that one. I'm afraid she's far too broken to recover any more useful information."

"I have no use for a worthless piles of bones, tell your brother to dispose of her as he wishes."

**Meanwhile…**

Chii and Jiraiya both placed explosive tags on two of their clones, sent them to permeate the building silently and then the two real shinobi looked at each other before activating the explosives. Utter chaos ensued as villagers rushed towards safety, panicking in the streets. As the group of shinobi infiltrated the walls, they made multiple clones of themselves, and Kakashi broke off from the group to go in search of Emma. Meanwhile one of the Aneian guards nearby spotted the group and made a few clones of himself. The guard took out weapon after weapon, as did his clones, and threw them with vigor. Jiraiya and Chii took out their own weapons, threw them at the enemy shinobi, who was in the air, and their weapons clattered to the ground. Chii, who rarely got angry, glowered at her enemy as he landed back onto the ground with a small thud.

"You are all fools to think that you could so blatantly attack this village!" the guard stated. Jiraiya's clones started generating the Rasengan, as did he, and they all ran at him. The shinobi's eyes widened slightly but he did a hand-seal and quickly did a replacement jutsu before they hit. Jiraiya cursed under his breath and looked around. Standing in the shadows, the Aneian solder used a genjutsu to mask his presence before Chii spotted him and threw senbon at him.

He dispelled the jutsu before jumping out and doing a series of hand-seals. "Water clone jutsu!" he made several of his own pathetic clones before they all charged at Chii and Jiraiya's clones; many other shinobi and guards were showing up by now. The Aneian guard smirked. "Now you'll learn the price of your actions!"

**Elsewhere...**

Kakashi passed by the ruckus virtually unnoticed and followed the faint trace of Emma's familiar chakra, although she thought she had none. Ducking past a group of guards headed towards the gate, he came upon a stone building etched in the side of a small cliff. Knocking out the two guards outside, he went inside and found a bolted door. He glared at the door with all his might, foolishly thinking that it'd help but found that no, it didn't.

Finally using a superb unlocking jutsu with only a chakra-infused hair pin, (where he got it from who knows,) and opened the door. Rushing in, he closed the door behind-for God only knows the reason why-and scanned the room quickly until he saw her… Huddled into the fetus position, bloodied with lacerations all over her body, and as of which, was naked.

He couldn't help but stare at her in awe of both wonder and fear of her life. He'd heard stories of how the Aneians treated their captives, but never did think they could be so cruel as to cause this kind of damage. Shaking off his shock, Kakashi quickly strode over and knelt down.

"Emma … Emma … Emma!" he touched her shoulder gently and she jerked away, shuddering violently. '_What've they done to you?'_ he wondered, anger building-up even more inside him. Picking her up gently, Kakashi held Emma to his body where she fought for a while before finally giving in to the exhaustion. He looked down at her pityingly before shaking himself out of it as the door sounded with a bolt-lock being removed.

He became ridged as it slowly creaked open and Nobuo slowly entered, smirking at the infuriated look Kakashi gave him. "Ah…Hatake Kakashi, nice to see you again," he said, once again smirking as he got a growl in return. "Oh, your woman…yes…I see you've found her in the state I left her in last night? It's really amazing how much physical and mental pain the human body can endure, quite fascinating. And it is such a nice day for a little torture, isn't it?" he smiled widely as he did his hand-seals for his dreaded Soul Chain attack.

"AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Emma let out a high-pitch wail of pain as the images went through her mind and she went limp again, tears streaming down her face. Kakashi let out a loud, animalistic growl and took a few kunai out of his holster with difficulty, but non-the-less did it. He threw them angrily at Nobuo.

"Ah-ah-ah…" Nobuo smiled cruelly as he held his hands up in the last hand-seal of the Soul Chain assault again. Kakashi stopped in his next attack and glared resentfully at him. "Normally I'd have to be in physical contact with my subjects for the attack to actually work, but as I noticed the other day, it seems that I've been able to maintain a mental link with this woman. Interesting, don't you think?" Nobuo smirked as Kakashi continued to stair at him with pure hatred in his eyes.

"Of course since I've only just discovered this I've yet to learn the full extent of our little link, but I'm looking forward to learning more about this…intriguing turn of events." Nobuo chuckled. "I just hopes she survives long enough for me to do so." Thoroughly pissed, Kakashi quickly did a couple of hand-seals and made several clones of himself and Emma while Nobuo watched in amusement.

"How quaint, you still wish to fight me even when you know you'll loose. But in all seriousness, all I have to do is one little movement with my hands and poof…your clones will just…poof away!" he sounded slightly eccentric as Kakashi's clones ran at him, all of which had Emma's in his arms. His hand moved and all the Emma's mimicked the real one, all let out cries of excruciating pain.

Meanwhile, Kakashi was having a hard time not just putting her down for one second and punishing Nobuo's whole being for hurting her so much but he knew he had a duty to keep her safe from this sicko's evil clutches. His anger mounted as the clones poofed away, just as Nobuo had said. "You're really quite stupid, you know that Scarecrow? You couldn't beat me last time, and then you weren't holding some worthless wretch!" he laughed evilly. Kakashi growled, gritting his teeth as he readied more shuriken.

**THUD! THUD! **

The ground shook and there was a loud noise outside that drew Nobuo and Kakashi's attention for a second before the wall busted down, making Nobuo jump out of the way instead of being crushed. Jiraiya's toad stomped in, looking around the room.

"Found them!" the toad bellowed. Jiraiya looked round and glared down at Nobuo before generating the Resangan again and jumped down. Nobuo rolled out of the way and jumped up, away from the two Leaf Shinobi.

"You again?" Nobuo grimaced.

Jiraiya glared down at Nobuo who had landed on his feet ("Crouching Tiger" position) before looking at Kakashi, "Get out of here and I'll distract him!" he said harshly.

Kakashi gave him a stubborn look, "No, you get out of here and take Emma to safety. I'll handle this sick bastard myself!" he snarled. Jiraiya frowned deeply at him.

"Kakashi…" his voice was firm, "Emma is not my woman, she's yours…and you're in no condition to fight…especially if Emma's like that!" he didn't falter and his harsh tone made Kakashi look down before frowning once again behind his mask.

"Leaving so early? But the party's just getting started." Nobuo said in mock hurt. Kakashi glared at the Aneian, how he'd love to kill him right now. But as much as he hated to admit it, Jiraiya was right. He was of no use to anybody right now, not in the state his mind and Emma's body were in. The best thing he could do now was to get her away from here, back to the village, and straight to the hospital.

"Fine…but leave him alive because I want to finish him off!" he stated, holding Emma closer to himself as he went to the hole in the wall and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Jiraiya smirked down at Nobuo cruelly, cracking his knuckles while a shadow appeared over his eyes.

"I'll do my best not to kill you before Kakashi gets his chance. As for now, I think I'm gunna enjoy this!" he said before he appeared before Nobuo, grabbed his neck and prepared to lay the smack-down on him.


	9. Bring Me To Life

**A/N:** Second chapter up today, now for the third!

* * *

**Days Later… **

"How long has he been here like that?" Sakura asked the nurse.

"Ever since he brought her back."

Sakura's eyes widened as she gazed at her sensei. "THAT long?" It had been over a week since Kakashi had rescued Emma, and he hadn't left her side for a second since he had. '_Wow, I didn't Kakashi-sensei felt so strongly about Em-chan.'_ Sakura thought, slightly jealous. _'I wonder if Sasuke would be like that if were in her position?'_ "How long until she wakes up?"

The nurse shrugged. "I don't know. Her physical wounds have all but healed, but nobody really knows the full extent of her psychological scars. From what I've been told that Nobuo is one sick guy and Miss. Emma is the only known civilian to have survived an encounter with him."

"He's THAT bad?"

"Yup." she nodded. "He's even taken out several top ranking shinobi and earned himself a spot in the Bingo Book. But that's as far as my knowledge goes I'm afraid. Since I'm just a nurse my clearance level on such matters is kinda low, as such I only know what I've overheard from the doctors and other ninja. But hopefully she'll wake up soon and tell us all about what happened, until then all we can do is wait and make her as comfortable as possible." Sakura nodded in understanding, thanked the kind nurse, then went into the room and sat a flower on the table next to Emma's bed before taking a seat next to Kakashi.

"How is she?"

Kakashi glanced up from his book and smiled half-heartedly. "She's as good as new." he chimed. "She's just resting now; she should wake up any moment though if you'd like to wait with me."

"Sure, I'd love to." she smiled. Even though Kakashi acted like his normal self, Sakura could tell it was just an act. But whether he was acting so because he didn't want to seem weak-like a lot of men do, or wither he did it to cheer her up she didn't know for sure. '_It's probably the later of the two.'_ she concluded. _'Kakashi-sensei never seems like the type of guy who'd care what others think about him that much, so he's probably just doing it for me.'_

That said, Sakura sat there and wondered to herself when poor Emma would wake up, what she'd been subjected to, and wither or not she should tell her sensei that his book was upside-down. That evening, as Sakura was bringing Kakashi his dinner from the hospital's cafeteria; she walked back into the room to find that Emma was finally awake.

"Where's Kakashi-sensei?" she asked the nurse as the doctor was try to calm Emma down so that he could examine her. "And what's wrong with Em-chan?"

"I don't know. But while you gone Emma woke up and started freaking out when she saw Kakashi."

"She did, but why?"

"Again, I don't know. We've been trying to calm her down for the past five minutes. She was fine when Kakashi left to tell the Hokage the good news, but then she started freaking out again when the doctor tried to examine her." Sakura looked in awe as the doctor forcibly injected Emma with a sedative, causing an almost instant calming reaction from Emma.

"There, that should calm her down long enough for me to do my job." he stated as his patent's eyes became droopy and dazed-out. Two more weeks had passed and Emma's wounds were but a distant memory. However, for some unknown reason, she wouldn't talk at all, flinched whenever someone would try to touch her, and still freaked out whenever Kakashi came to visit. She was perfectly fine whenever anyone else visited, as long as they didn't touch her much. This, of course, left the Scarecrow feeling sadder then he'd ever felt before. As such he'd spent all of his free time training, so that next time he'd see Nobuo he'd be sure to kill him. He was certain to make him pay for what he'd done to Emma, to make him beg for death as an ending to the suffering Kakashi would inflict upon him.

"They've said a psychiatrist has been by several times to check on her, but she still won't talk." Chii told Kakashi as he gazed out his window. "Whatever Nobuo did to her there, it's scarred her very deep. So tomorrow some kind of expert is supposed to come to the village to attempt a rare kind type of mind-link jutsu on her."

"Mind link jutsu? But that's the kind of attack Nobuo used on Emma to make her this way, isn't it?" Sakura asked. (She'd come to see how he was doing.) "Won't that be a little dangerous?"

Chii nodded. "It could be, yes. But the doctors say that it might be the only way to find out what happened. Since Emma won't talk to anybody this mind-link will allow the doctor to view her memories of what happened to her while in Anei. If she were to try and fight back while he was doing so Em-chan could be hurt, but since they're gunna use a sedative the doctors believe everything should go fine."

"And if it works, if he can actually do it, what will happen then?"

"Well if all goes according to plan then they should be able to treat Emma and help her move on."

"But what if something happens? What if something goes wrong? This won't kill her, will it?" Sakura asked, quite worried.

"We'll just have to believe that it'll work and everything will be okay." Kakashi finally spoke, turning around with a smile plastered under his mask. Chii and Sakura smiled and nodded in almost perfect unison.

"Kakashi is right, all we can do is put our trust in the doctor and hope for the best." Chii stated.

Sakura beamed brightly. "Yes, Em-chan was strong enough to make it this far, so she's sure to make it all the way!"

**The Next Day… **

"Is he here yet?" Sakura panted, slowing down as she reached the hospital.

Chii nodded and smiled. "Yes, he just got here."

"Oh, that's good. I wonder if everything will go okay?"

"If this guy is as good as everybody has made him out to be, then there's no problem."

Sakura nodded her head in understanding. "Where's Kakashi-sensei? I thought he'd be here."

"He was." Chii stated. "He's the one who brought the med-nin here."

"He did?"

"Yep, he volunteered to do so himself." Chii nodded. "Didn't he tell you?"

"No, Kakashi-sensei doesn't tell us much of anything unless he has to." sighed Sakura. "So is he in there now?"

"Nope."

"Then where is he now?"

"Who knows." Chii shrugged. "He just up and left without a word as soon as the med-nin started the jutsu, so your guess is as good as mine."

Meanwhile, at the memorial sight, a lone scarecrow stood and glared solemnly at the stone before him. '_I've lost everyone else who has ever meant anything to _ _me.__'_ he sighed heavily. _'Obito, Rin…Father, I'm sorry I couldn't save you. If I could I would give my life to make everything better, to have you all back. I failed you all, and for that I'm eternally sorry.'_ Gazing at the names of those lost to him, the Jounin took in a deep breath of air as the wind blew through his silver/grey locks. _I know I have no right to ask anything of you, but please, watch over her and make sure everything goes okay?'_ Kakashi prayed, a single tear rolling down his face as he glanced into the sky. 

**Back at the hospital…**

Emma stood in the middle of a void, naked and cold. Fear filled her entire being as she stared into the darkness.

**_CLICK! CLACK! CLICK! CLACK!_**

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end while goosebumps covered the entirety of her skin.

**_CLICK! CLACK! CLICK! CLACK!_**

She stood there, paralyzed in fear as the footsteps grew closer and closer.

"W-who…?" she whispered.

"You're such a fool, you know that?" came a voice from all around.

Emma spun around to find the source of the voice. _'Where…who…?'_

"To think that a foul creature such as yourself has been allowed to survive for so long is truly remarkable. Why it was that nobody saw fit to rid this world of you yet I know not, but rest assured your presence shall not taint this world for much longer." Out of nowhere Emma found herself being pinned to ground by a dark and luminous shadow.

"Did you honestly think that I could ever love a wretched creature such as you?" the voice spat.

"What do you mean? Who are you?"

The voice laughed manically. "Do honestly not remember me? You're even more idiotic then I thought!" the voice sneered as he lowered his face towards her.

"K-Ka-Kakashi?"

"You sound surprised." he smirked. "You didn't honestly think that I had feelings for you, that I cared?" Emma bit her lower lip and fought back against the tears that started to form.

Kakashi smiled evilly. "Aw…you did, didn't you?" he mocked in fake sympathy.

**_SMACK!_**

"Pathetic!" Kakashi scolded as he slapped Emma upside her face.

'_Why? Why is Kakashi doing this to me? I thought we were…no, I'd hoped we were…'_ Emma thought, trying her hardest to fight back the tears that now streamed down her face. _'At the very least I'm a mission to him, someone he HAS TO protect. But then why would he…why would Kakashi…?'_

**_CRASH! CRACK!_**

Emma felt her body crack as she was thrown into a wall.

"Why would I want to be with such an ugly, fat, stupid, and pathetic loser like you?" Kakashi spat as he stood over her hunched body.

"But I thought…I thought that the Hokage told you to…"

Kakashi chuckled evilly. "You thought? Well, I guess there's a first time for everything!" Emma glared up at the Jounin, eyes blurry and full of sorrow and confusion.

"I thought you were supposed to protect me? That's your mission, isn't it?"

"My mission?" Kakashi asked, pulling Emma up by her hair. "A lowly wretch such as yourself dares to tell me what my mission is? My mission is none of your business!"

"But…I thought…"

"You thought WRONG!" he yelled, slamming her to the floor and digging his left foot into her back. Emma screamed out in pain as Kakashi dug his heavy boots into her spine, her nose and right eyebrow bleeding profusely from the sudden impact with the ground.

----------------

"There was more, of course." the doctor stated as he glanced at Emma's slumbering form in her bed.

"Please, I don't think I wish to hear any more." Chii stated as the doctor gave his report to the Hokage outside Emma's hospital room. The doctor looked at Sarutobi, who nodded in agreement with what Chii had said.

"Please, get to the point." the Hokage instructed.

"Gory details aside," the doctor continued, "it would seem as though Nobuo projected the image of Kakashi into Emma's mind as he proceeded to belittle and harm her. Now whether he did it once, or even several times, I don't quite know, but that isn't the worst of it. As it is, everything I've learned I shall provide you with in my report. For now, however, I should get some rest as the jutsu took a lot out of me."

"But isn't there anything else you can do?" Chii questioned.

The med-nin shook his head. "I'm sorry but I only have the ability to read one's thoughts, I cannot manipulate or implant any thoughts into another. To do so requires not only a lot of hard work and talent, but a very rare type of kekkei-genkai which I'm afraid I don't posses."

"So then, there's nothing left you can do?" the Hokage asked.

"Not without risking even more permanent mental and emotional scarring. If however, you so decided, I shall do my best to seal the memories of her experiences as best I can. It would be risky, and there's no guarantee, but I'm afraid it's the only option I can give you."

Sarutobi nodded in understanding. "Thank you, I look forward to reading your report." The doctor nodded before leaving for the hotel (where he was staying).

"Forgive me for asking, Sir, but what are we going to do about Em-chan's condition now?"

"Well, Chii, I believe that the best person to answer that question would be Kakashi."

Chii looked at the Hokage in confusion. "True, Kakashi cares for Em-chan a great deal, but you are the Sandaime. Shouldn't it be you who decides our next step?"

"I'm the leader of this village, yes, but the mere fact that I'm Hokage doesn't mean that I alone have the power or the right to decide the fate of another. As Hokage it is my duty to protect this village-my family-with my life, and that encludes Emma. But I find that in cases such as this it is usually best that the loved ones of the individual in question are best suited to decide, not I."

"But Emma has no family here, Sir."

Sarutobi smiled and shook his head. "I'm surprised at you Chii, as a jounin I would think that you would know better then that."

"Sir?"

"Just because one does not share blood with another doesn't mean they're not family, a bond of blood simply means they're related. What truly makes a family is the close bonds and relationships one shares with others. To care for the life of another and to be willing to risk anything for them, that is the essance of 'family,' that is what makes the entire village one big family itself. And who else do you know of in this village that cares as much for her as Kakashi does?"

Chii smiled and nodded in understanding of The Professor. "Should I go find our Scarecrow then?"

"Yes, I believe that the sooner he's informed of the situation at hand, the better."

Bowing in respect, Chii disappeared in a cloud of smoke, off to find Kakashi. '_I wonder how he'll react, what his choice will be?'_ she pondered.

Back at the hospital, the Hokage was ingrossed in some deep thoughts of his own. '_What truely happened to you there? ...Did they learn what they wanted? ...What is he planning?'_

It'd now been two months since the doctor had sealed away Emma's memories of her time in Anei and things were back to normal…for the most part.

"She still having those nightmares?" Sakura asked, worried.

Chii nodded in confirmation. "And what's worse that she's still acting awkward around Kakashi. I knew the doctor said there'd be a possibility of side-effects, but I didn't expect anything like this."

Sakura sighed. "He does his best not to show it, but I can tell it's hurting Kakashi-sensei. Just the other day I caught him casting forlorn glances at Em-chan while she was walking to work. It was really heart-wrenching, you know? I just wish there's something we could do to make everything okay."

"Maybe there is." Jiraiya stated, popping up suddenly behind Sakura.

"ACK! Where'd YOU come from?" she cried, clutching her chest in shock.

The Sanin chuckled merrily while taking a seat next to Chii at the ramen stand. "Sorry for scaring you, but I couldn't help but over-hear your conversation."

"You mean you were eavesdropping." Chii huffed.

"Ha-ha, you noticed that, did you? In any case, I think I might have a solution to your guys' problem. That is, if you're interested in what I have to say?"

"And why should we trust a perverted, porn writing, old man like you?" Sakura questioned.

'_I take it Naruto has been talking about me.'_ Jiraiya sighed, a visible vein throbbing out of his forehead. "Well, if you two aren't interested…" Jiraiya stated, his voice in a sing-song tone as he got up to leave.

Chii sighed at what she was about to do. "Wait…"

"Chii-san, you're not honestly going to listen to this man, are you?" Sakura pleaded.

"It couldn't hurt to just listen to what he has to say, Sakura."

Jiraiya beamed brightly as he retook his seat next to Chii. "That's my girl!" he exclaimed, placing an arm around her shoulder.

"So…tell us your plan already, Master Jiraiya." Chii stated, grabbing his arm and twisting it backwards until it made a loud cracking/popping sound.

---------

"I won what now?" Emma asked, placing a stack of dirty dishes into the sink.

"A two week, all expenses paid, dream vacation to the Hot Springs Village Resort and Day Spa. It's only one of the most expensive and illustrious hotels around, they even have a two-year waiting period just to get on the list!" Chii squealed.

"Wow, sounds fun." Emma stated, placing another dish into the drying rack. "You sure **_I'M_** the one who won? I mean, I've never won anything before really. And to tell the truth, I can't even remember entering such a contest."

"It's a random drawing, it happens every year. Everyone in Konoha was qualified, and since you live here, that includes you too. And before you say anything, I've already talked it over with Taku, and he thinks it's a good idea."

"He does?"

"Yup." Chii nodded. "He says that you've been working so hard that you've earned yourself a break for a while. He even said he'd make it a paid vacation if you agreed to bring him back a bottle of their famous bath salts."

"But, I won't have anybody to go with." Emma sighed. "It'd get so lonely staying by myself with no friends around to hang with."

"Oh, don't worry about that!" Chii smirked. "You'll have a great time, trust me! Who knows, you might even meet someone!"

"Me, meet someone?" Emma burst out laughing. "Sure…!"

"Hey, it could happen!" Chii pouted.

Emma shook her head. "Please, I'd be lucky if a guy even considered me a good acquaintance, there's no way one would ever want to date me!"

"What about Kakashi?"

"What about him?"

"Oh, I don't know…Just call it woman's intuition."

"Call it what you want, but there's no way in Hell he'd ever date me. Besides, I don't know why, but he kinda scares me."

"Why's that?" asked Chii. "After all, he's been nothing but kind to you. You, on the other hand, have been quite stand-offish with him ever since you got released from the hospital."

Emma shrugged, drying off her hands on her apron. "I don't really know why. It's this feeling I get about him, like there's something not right with him. It's like…It's like there's something that happened between us, but I can't remember what."

**Several hours later…**

"Oh, Emma!" Kakashi moaned, his voice husky as he came all over his bed.

"I hate to say, but I'm afraid you've got it-BAD!" Jiraiya smiled, jumping down from the window sill and beside the naked Scarecrow.

"Enjoy your little peep-show?" Kakashi asked, standing up and pulling on his boxers.

The Toad Sage scoffed. "You wish."

"Hardly." Kakashi grimmaced. "There any reason you decided to show yourself?"

"Oh, not really…I just wanted to give you this, is all." The Sannin smiled, handing Kakashi a small white envelope.

"What's this?"

"Well, you see…I was supposed to stay in this hotel and all, but it seems something came up and now I can't go. The reservations are non-refundable, and since you've been kinda down lately, I thought you'd be the best person to give them to."

"Thanks, but no thanks." Kakashi stated, handing the envelope back.

"Why not?" Jiraiya inquired. "Any loyal reader of mine would never give up the chance to mingle with tons of hot, sexy women at a hot springs resort."

Kakashi shrugged as he pulled on his mask. "Not interested."

"What if I were to tell you that the Hokage himself has ordered you to go?"

"I'd say you were lying."

"Well it's true. The old man has noticed how upset you've been lately and he thinks you should go. Even said he'd make it a direct order if he had to, got the paper work to prove it." Jiraiya smiled, handing Kakashi a scroll confirming that everything he just said was true.

"I guess I have no choice but to go, in that case." Kakashi sighed heavily. "Make sure Em-chan's okay while I'm gone, will you?"

"Don't worry," Jiraiya smirked, "Em-chan will be just fine."

**Meanwhile… **

"Thanks again!" Emma waved goodbye to the man, hopping out of the back of the cart she rode in to get to the village.

"Sure thing, have a nice day miss!" the old man replied, already halfway down the road by now. The hotel was really quite amazing looking from the outside. It was probably about 5-6 stories high, and took up almost an entire (inner city) block. To tell the truth it looked an awful lot like a temple out of _Final Fantasy X_ or _X-2_ then anything she'd seen so far in this world.

'_Well, this place certainly looks nice enough.'_ Emma thought, eyeing-up the hotel. _'Maybe if I'm lucky I'll actually get to meet a new friend here?' _Walking into the hotel, Emma strolled over to what she assumed was the check-in desk. "Excuse me, I believe I have a reservation?" she stated to the man behind the counter, handing him her information booklet Chii gave her.

"Ahh, yes." the man stated, winking.

'_What was THAT for?'_ she wondered while the clerk went to retrieve the key.

"Room number 615, Momiji will see to your things." Grabbing the key from the man, Emma waited for the bellhop to take her bags before walking up the six flights to her room. When she opened the door Emma couldn't believe her eyes. "Wow, this place is huge!" she exclaimed, running over towards the balcony. "I bet you could fit at least 50 people in here!" The bellhop smiled as he set down her bags next to the dresser.

"I'm glad to see you approve."

"Approve? I wish I could live here!" Emma beamed as she went to check out the bathroom. "Holy shit! This bathroom is almost as big as the apartment I share with Chii! And would you look at the décor! Is this real marble in here?"

"Yes Ma'am, it sure is. If you'll be needing anything don't hesitate to ask."

"How about twenty or so people to help fill this room with me?" she joked.

The bellhop just laughed as Emma plopped herself in the bed. "Good day, Miss."

"Great day, actually-thanks!" she smiled as the man exited the room. '_Well, if nothing else, at least I'll be getting a good nights sleep!'_ she thought, laying on the soft, cloud-like bed. _'What is this, a California King sized?'_ she thought, looking for the tag. Finding no tag to speak of, Emma lost interest and decided to take a cool, refreshing shower instead. _'After all, it's much too hot out now to go to the _ _hot springs__….That and I don't want anybody turning into stone at the sight of me in my bathing suit.'_

Meanwhile, Kakashi was just checking in to the same resort. "Yo."

"Yes Sir, how may I help you?" the clerk asked. Handing the man the white envelope, Kakashi waited for his room key.

"Here you go Sir, room 615. Your companion just arrived half an hour ago."

'_My companion?'_ he thought. _'I guess Jiraiya forgot to tell me hired a hooker. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to ask to her leave, seeing as Jiraiya isn't going to be here, and I'm in no mood for company tonight.' _"Thanks." the Scarecrow nodded, disappearing with his bags before Momiji could grab them. What Kakashi found awaiting him in his room was the last thing he'd ever suspected to find, but secretly wished he would. There, lying asleep on the bed, in nothing but a towel-that was currently coming un-tucked as she rolled over-was the woman who filled him with such want and desire.

'_Could I be dreaming?'_ he wondered, dropping his bag and approaching the bed ever so slowly. What in the blazes was Emma doing here? And for that matter, why was she practically naked? '_If this is a dream, I never wish to wake-up.'_ he thought, eyeing-up Emma's back-side as she rolled over again, the towel finally giving loose to revile her bare flesh. Inside, Kakashi was at war with himself. His now throbbing member ached to be inside of her, while his heart told him it would be wrong to do so. It was everything he could do, to resist the urge of just taking her right then and there. But…what exactly was he to do? Mind blank, he decided on the first thing rational that came to mind.

'_Maybe, I should just wake her up?' _Kneeling down, Kakashi went to place his hand on her shoulder, only to accidentally place it on her other (**_A-HEM!)_** side when she once again rolled over.Without thinking, Kakashi instinctively started to gently massage the soft lump under his hand. '_No! I can't be doing this, not like this!'_ he grimaced to himself. Just as he was about to let go, he herd a small gasping moan escaped Emma's lips. Talk about torture, this was just too much to handle! Any more stimulus and Kakashi was certain he'd go off the deep end!

'_No, I…I don't wanna scare her.'_ he thought, pain stricken at the memory. _'Not after seeing how she reacted to me before.' _the Scarecrow sighed as he removed his hand. Sliding his back against the wall behind him, Kakashi growled to himself, banging the back of his head up-side the wall.

"Kakashi? What are you doing here?" Emma questioned, groggily awakening from her slumber.

"I was just wondering that myself."

"What?"

"I mean…It would appear we're meant to be roommates again."

Emma blinked, slightly confused as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Ahh…what now?"

"Well…" Kakashi sighed, "From what I can tell, you and I have been tricked into spending the next two weeks together, here-in the same room."

"Oh…" (Insert sudden realization of what was said.) "OH! Wait…What do you mean, 'you and I have been tricked'?"

The Jounin shrugged as he stood up in his spot. "I meant what I said. But don't worry, I was just leaving, so…"

"Where to?"

"Back home." Kakashi stated, grabbing for his bag,

Shifting her eyes to the side while she thought it over, Emma decided on her next course of action. "Wait…I mean, we're both adults, right? There's no reason we both couldn't stay." she smiled uneasily, getting up and placing her hand on the shinobi's shoulder. '_He still freaks me out for some reason, but Chii was right-Kakashi HAS been nothing but nice to me. So…I guess I could try to be nice to him. Maybe we'll even get to be friends?' _Just then, Emma noticed the look Kakashi was giving her. _'...Uh…wait. Why is he staring at me like that?'_

"What are you looking at? Is there something on my…HOLY SHIT!" Emma freaked as she made a beeline for the bathroom, slamming the door behind herself. "Why the hell didn't you tell me I was naked?" she yelled.

"…"

"WTF? I know you're out there!"

"Sorry, what was that again?" Kakashi asked, shaking himself out of his daze.

"Ugh, never mind. Could you just do me a favor and hand me some clothes please?"

"Uh…sure thing." he replied, randomly picking up one of Emma's suitcases.

'_I can't believe I'm actually touching her clothes!'_ the Jounin practically drooled, blushing as he picked out a pair of underwear, a bra, and an outfit for her to wear. As he handed her the clothing through the door, Kakashi wondered why he cared so much about being able to touch her clothes. It wasn't as if he'd never touched a woman's clothes before, or an actual woman for that matter. But there was just something about this girl that made him feel like a love-sick teenager all over again.

'_Why on Earth would Kakashi stare at me like that? Granted I WAS naked, but it's still me we're talking about-I'm ugly as heck. So then, why didn't he laugh, barf, or make some crude comment or joke? Was it THAT devastating to see me nude? I know I'm not attractive, but come on!'_ "So, uhh…why didn't you say something?" Emma asked, emerging from the bathroom-now full clothed.

"About what?"

"You know, about me being all in the buff and what not. I'm honestly not THAT repulsive that you were unable to speak, am I?"

"What?" asked Kakashi.

"I know I'm not attractive and what not, and I like to joke about how I turn people into stone, but…well…I'd like to think I'm not all that nauseating to look at."

"Nauseating? Is that what you think?"

Emma nodded. "Well, yeah."

Kakashi shook his head as he surprised Emma by taking her into his arms, hugging her. "Em-chan, you are FAR from being ugly. In fact, you're the most beautiful person I know."

"Maybe my personality…" Emma blushed.

"No, not just that, you're also physically attractive as well."

"Thanks, but you don't have to lie to make me feel better. It's okay, I've learned to live with the fact that I'm ugly and meant to live alone and unloved. So you see, you really don't have to-"

Placing a finger over her mouth, Kakashi removed both his headband and mask. "Look at me, Em-chan." he said, grabbing her chin and turning her face so that they were looking each other in the eyes. "I don't what's happened to you to make you feel that way, but this is the truth-You are the most beautiful, wonderful, kind, caring, and amazing person in the whole world. So whatever has happened to you in your past, whatever anybody else has told you, forget it-all of it. You're the best person I've ever met and nothing anyone says or does is going to change that fact."

"Ka-Kakashi…" Emma stuttered, suddenly feeling weak at the knees gazing into the jounin's face. Without warning, Kakashi lowered his face until their lips met. Suddenly nauseous and dizzy, Emma almost fell, her knees were so weak. Luckily Kakashi was able to see it coming and tightened his grasp around her waist to support her. Once again guilt filled Kakashi as he thought of how he was unable to prevent her abduction. Pulling back and breaking the kiss, Kakashi sighed as he walked Emma over to the bed and sat her down.

"I…I can't do this." he stated. "Not until I've made everything better, assuming I can that is."

Emma stared at him in daze and shock. "W-wha…What?" she stuttered.

"Um…I'll tell you about it later. Right now I have a few errands to run." Kakashi stated, pull his mask and headband back on. "Later."

* * *

**A/N:** Please remember to R/R.


	10. Hanging By A Moment

**A/N:** Sorry for the _LOOOOOOOONG_ wait. I was so busy with college and finals, and I swear I must've re-wrote this chapter at least 3 or 4 times before I was finally some what close to happy with it. It's not as long as the others, but I tried to make it as long as I could. It might've been longer but that would mean stalling the update even more and I didn't want that. I figure I've kept you all waiting too long so it wouldn't be fair to have you wait more and what not. Anywho, I hope everyone enjoys this taste of _lemon_aid I wrote and I hope it was worth the wait.

* * *

**Several hours later…**

"Ahh…!" Emma sighed happily as sipped on an ice-cold chocolate shake.

After the Jounin's sudden disappearance Emma spent well over two hours looking for where he might've gone. _'Who the hell does he think he is disappearing into smoke like that without telling me where he's going? How rude! Great, now I sound like Stephanie Tanner from _Full House_!'_ Emma chuckled to herself as she laid down on a lounge-chair and basked in the shade of the overhead umbrella.

_'I just hope nobody decides to play dunk the dork!'_ she thought, eyeing all the jock and cheerleader type people currently swimming in the pool ten feet from her.

"Having fun?" Kakashi asked, suddenly "poofing" out of a cloud of smoke behind her.

"ACK!" Emma screamed, jumping back in her seat only to topple it over.

"Oh…sorry about that." The scarecrow chuckled.

"Damn right you're sorry!" Emma yelled, regaining her bearings. "You're damn lucky I wasn't holding my drink at the time or your ass would be mine!" she growled, pointing at the milkshake on the table.

Kakashi raised his one eyebrow in true Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson fashion. "You like milkshakes that much, huh?" he asked, helping her up with his hand.

"Kinda, I just don't want to be covered in cold-ass ice cream, ya know?"

"Really?" The ninja smirked, grabbing said shake.

Emma's eyes grew wide. "Don't even think about it!"

"Why? What would you do if I did?"

"I told you, I'd have your sorry ass." Emma grimaced, trying to be intimidating as possible while slowly backing away.

Rather liking the sound of that, and interested in how she'd react, Kakashi decided _'What the hell?'_ and promptly dumped the shake atop her head.

After about ten seconds of staring in shock as cold chocolate ice cream dripped slowly down her head, Emma locked eyes with Kakashi and gave him a death glare. "You're mine!" she growled, tackling him to ground.

"You have no idea." smiled the scarecrow, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Momentarily caught off-guard, Emma quickly regained her fury and head-butted the Jounin.

"That's no way to try to steal a kiss, Em-chan." he teased, his forehead tingling slightly.

"Kiss this!" Emma yelled, rolling over to toss him into the pool.

_'Love to!'_ smirked the shinobi, grabbing her wrist and taking her with him.

**_SPLASH!_**

Once under the water Emma panicked, this was the deep end she didn't know how to swim! Trying to struggle free from her capture, Emma was once again shocked when his lips collided with hers, breathing air into her mouth.

_'This is just like the one cut-scene in Final Fantasy X!'_ she thought. Caught up in nostalgia and still slightly shocked, she unconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck, forgetting all thoughts of rage and payback.

Quickly replacing his mask before reaching the waterline, Kakashi lifted Emma onto the marble ground-covering surrounding the pool before pulling himself out. Hovering overtop of Emma on all fours while she lay there panting breathlessly, his eyes wandered down to her now see-through white shirt.

_'You have no idea what you do to me, do you?'_ he thought, feeling a slight movement in his pants.

"First you forget to tell me I'm naked, next you disappear on me, then you dump my drink on me, and now this?! What the hell am I going to do with you?!" Emma sighed, exasperated.

"I can think of a few things…"

"Huh?"

"Never mind, we can discuss our options later." He smiled, standing up and pulling her with him. "Right now I suggest we slip into a change of clothes."

Emma sighed. "Yeah, let's go back to our room and get undressed."

Kakashi eyed her, smirking.

"ALONE!" she added.

_"_Yeah, sure thing, lead the way." he smiled, taking the opportunity to enjoy the view as she led the way._ 'OUR room…'_ he sighed heavenly at the thought.

"So, where the heck did you get to anyways?" Emma inquired from within the bathroom where she was changing.

"Why, were you worried?"

"No. You just up and leave out of nowhere, without telling me where you're going. Why would I worry?"

Kakashi smiled. "I missed you too."

"Huh?" Emma asked, stepping out of the bathroom.

"Nothing."

"Don't 'nothing' me, where'd you go?"

"That's a surprise; you'll just have to wait 'til tomorrow to find out."

Emma grimaced before suddenly realizing the situation they were in. She was in such a hurry to get changed that she came out wearing a wife-beater and boxers, no bra. She blushed, hoping that the room wouldn't get too cold. Meanwhile, what was he wearing? Boxers. No pants, no headband, and no mask. Just boxers.

"So, what should I have room service bring us for dinner?" Kakashi smirked, sitting on the edge of the bed, phone in hand.

"Uhh…" Emma bit her lower-lip. Why'd he have to be so damn hot? If it wasn't for his drool worthy body Emma would've been fully capable of answering his question, but as it was she was struggling just to keep eye-contact with him-lest her eyes wander.

As for the Copy Nin, he had been eyeing her up and down ever since she left the bathroom. Heck, if he was a Hyuuga he would've been eyeing her while she was still in there!

Kakashi blushed slightly at that thought, his eyes wandering down to take notice of Emma's lack of wearing a bra. _'I wonder if she knows just how sheer that shirt's fabric is?'_ he smirked, slightly aroused.

_'What's he looking at?'_ she wondered, looking down at herself. _'Maybe it's colder then I thought in here?'_ She blushed as butterflies fluttered in her stomach.

"How about…umm…corndogs?" she suggested the first food that came to her mind as she grabbed her shirt, tugging at the front in a futile attempt of flattening what she feared was showing and taking a seat next to Kakashi on the bed. While what she did succeeded in flattening her boobs somewhat, unbeknownst to her it did more of a job pushing them together as the collar slid down to reveal an ample amount of cleavage.

"Corn what…?" Kakashi asked, turning to look at only to get his money's worth of eye candy. _'Kami, it's getting increasingly harder not to jump her right now!'_

Just as she was about to ask how he didn't know what corndogs were she remembered where she was. "Oh yeah, this isn't America." she stated, glancing out the window. "Well then, I guess whatever you want is fine. So long as it isn't seafood, raw, or made from common house-hold pets or pests."

"Yeah…sure…" the scarecrow mumbled, trying not to drool while quickly placing the phone's base atop his now full-blown erection.

Startled by his change in tone Emma turned back to look at her companion. "You, uh…alright Kakashi? You're face is kinda red, you're not sick are you?" She placed her hand on his forehead, causing him to lock eyes with her.

"Well, you do feel kinda warm." she stated, feeling slightly uneasy about his intent staring. "Kakashi…you can still speak can't you?"

Kakashi smiled softly as he reached his hand up and ran his fingers through her hair.

"I uhh…" Emma stammered as Kakashi leaned in closer to her face. "Kakashi I don't think you sh-"

**_KNOCK! KNOCK!_**

Her statement was cutoff short as the sound of the door knocking rang throughout the room, causing Emma to jump to her feet and run towards the door just as the Jounin was about to make his move.

_'Somebody better be dead or dying…!'_ he grinched, collapsing in defeat onto the bed.

"Hello?" Emma asked, opening the door. Nothing, nobody was there. "That's strange…" she stated, about to close the door when she noticed a food cart outside their door, their room number marked in plain sight.

"Uhh…Kakashi?" she asked, eyeing the cart.

"What?" he snapped. Hey, you'd be pissy too if you were ten seconds away from doing someone senseless only to be interrupted.

"I thought you didn't order yet?"

"I didn't why?"

"Well, see for yourself." she stated, wheeling the cart in and closing the door behind her.

Kakashi smiled. "They thought of everything, didn't they?" he sighed, indicating the two candles and bottle of sake on the cart.

Emma blinked in confusion. "Well obviously not, otherwise they'd know I don't drink alcohol."

"More for me." Kakashi shrugged, standing up a grabbing the bottle.

"I uhh…um…"

"Yeah, what is it?"

Emma blushed as she quickly turned around and covered her eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked again, coming up behind her.

"You, uh…you're…your _thing_ is…" she stammered.

That's when he looked down and noticed that his still stiff member had decided to pop out and visit. Slightly embarrassed, be placed the bottle down and wrapped his arms around Emma, pulling her firmly against himself. Emma stiffened-up as she felt him poking at her butt.

"It's all your fault, you know." he whispered into her ear.

"M-my f-fault?!" she inquired, her knees buckling. Kakashi nodded as he began nibble her ear. That's when her legs decided to turn into jelly, prompting Kakashi to carry over and gently place her on the bed.

"You have no idea how badly I've wanted this." he whispered in a husky voice as he mounted her. He smiled happily as Emma's breaths became uneven. He could hear her heart racing and smelled the intoxicating aroma of her increased pheromones. Though her shocked face expressed confusion in his actions her body told him what he wanted to hear. "I bet you're tight." he moaned, licking his lips and sliding his hand up and under her shirt.

_'You thought WRONG!'_ she heard his voice screaming inside her.

Kakashi looked shocked as she scrambled from underneath him and took the fetal position in the corner. What did he do? Did he read her wrong? No…he was positive she wanted him too. "What's wrong?" he asked, kneeling next to her and gently stroking her back.

"NO!" she screamed, slapping his hand away. "Leave me alone, I did nothing to you, NOTHING!"

"Leave you alone?" Kakashi asked worriedly. He looked down at her figure in the corner as she started to cry, shaking violently. That's when it hit him.

-Flashback-

_'He said that the guy you fought, that Nobou guy, he said he manipulated her mind into thinking it was YOU torturing her.' Chii stated softly, placing her hand on Kakashi's back. 'That's why she's been freaking out whenever she sees you, you see?'_

-End Flashback-

_'I'm going to take immense pleasure in killing that bastard…slowly!'_ Kakashi growled inwardly. Pushing his hatred for the Aneian scum to the back of his mind, Kakashi grabbed Emma tightly and hugged her.

"NO! Let me go!" she screamed, fighting desperately to escape.

"Shh…it's okay, I won't hurt you." Kakashi whispered calmly. "I love you Emma, and I promise I won't do anything to hurt you. I'll protect you for as long as I live, I swear that."

_'Yeah well, why in the world would I want to be with a loser like you?' _His voice rang even louder._ 'Oh Emma, I have the greatest news!' squealed Chii. 'Kakashi proposed, and I said yes! We're gunna get married!'_

"NO!" she cried. "LIAR! You don't love me, you're just toying with me-just like everyone else!" she bit his hand, drawing blood.

Ignoring the pain his hand, Kakashi took his hand out of her mouth and spun her around to face him.

"I'm just some sick, twisted game to you aren't I-AREN'T I?!" she cried hysterically.

"Listen to me, please Emma." Kakashi pleaded. "I don't know exactly what all that bastard Nobou did you, and I'm sorry for not stopping him sooner, but believe me when I say I love you."

Emma cocked her head to the side_. 'Did you honestly think that I could ever love a wretched creature such as you?' _She shook her head, trying to stop the voice. _'Why would I want to be with such an ugly, fat, stupid, and pathetic loser like you?'_ That's when she flipped. She screamed at the top of her lungs in bloody murder as pain surged throughout her entire body.

That's when it happened, for some unknown reason Kakashi's sharingan activated and he was somehow able to see all the images flashing through Emma's mind. He saw all those painful memories, felt her pain and rejection, and worst of all he was able to see what Nobou did to her. It was only for an instant, but in that instant he saw it all.

After about thirty seconds of screaming in agony Emma finally passed out in his arms, tears streaming down her face. "Oh Emma…" Kakashi sighed, holding her limp body tightly. _'I'm so sorry for all that you've been put through, for everything you've had to endure.'_ He picked her up and laid her on the bed, brushing away the strands of hair sticking to her face as one of his silent tears fell upon her lips.

Emma awoke the next day to find a damp towel on her forehead and Kakashi's arms deadlocked around her waist. She blushed furiously as she felt his chest pressed against her back, his breathing sent tingles down her spine. Embarrassed to say the last, she tried not to panic as she attempted to pry his arms away. _'I gotta pee!'_

Kakashi moaned softly as he felt her body wriggling against his, try to escape. "Trying to turn me on again?" he smirked, feeling her butt rubbing against his genitals.

"I uhh…" Emma stammered, stopping in her place.

The scarecrow smiled as he pulled her even closer, taking a deep whiff of her hair. "Mmmm…heavenly." he moaned happily.

Unable to control her actions, Emma's body twisted and writhed as the Jounin sent tingles down her back. Smiling victoriously, Kakashi pushed her hair aside and began to place soft kisses slowly down her spine. She giggled and bucked her back at the wondrous tingles he was surging throughout her body. Had she been able to think properly she would've wondered why he was doing this, as it was all she could do is giggle and moan in pleasure.

Deriving immense pleasure in her reactions, Kakashi's cock grew hard as he slid his hand down her boxers. Emma almost freaked out as his fingers teased her opening.

"Kakashi…I…" she tried in vain to stop him before they went too far. Her mind was saying 'no' but Kakashi could hear her body screaming for more. He just smiled as he slid his throbbing member between her thighs and plummeted his fingers into her.

Both moaned in heightened pleasure as he began to tour her depths. "I was right…" he moaned huskily, "you're tight as fuck."

"Kakashi…"

"Yes?"

"Could you…uh…let go?"

"What?" Kakashi opened his eyes only to come face to face with her shocked blue eyes. _'DAMN!'_ he thought, pissed at the thought that what happened was only a dream.

"Uhh…Kakashi, I gotta pee."

"Oh, okay." he sighed, releasing his grip on her. He watched in disappointment as she rushed towards the bathroom and closed the door. Once she was in the bathroom Kakashi sighed heavily, pounding his fists on the bed. Deciding it best to quickly get rid of his excitement before Emma came back out, he took it out and began to relieve himself as quickly as possible.

After finishing her business Emma flushed the toilet and washed her hands. Just as she turned off the faucet and was reaching for a towel she swore she heard moaning coming from outside the door. Curious, she leaned into the door to try and hear better. What she heard shocked her to say the least.

_'Kakashi didn't just…? No…Why would he?'_ Her heart pounded as she heard him once again. He was moaning her name! _'What the…?!'_ Gathering as much courage as she could muster, Emma opened the door as silently as possible.

"Yo." Kakashi smiled, standing right outside the bathroom doorway.

"Holy…!" Emma yelled, scared shitless at his sudden appearance. "How did you?"

"How'd I what?"

Emma shook her head. "Nothing, don't worry." She rubbed her forehead and looked down only to see what she imagined to be Kakashi's seed smeared on the front of his boxers. "I uh…" she stammered, pointing down at his crotch.

"Huh?" Kakashi questioned, glancing downwards. Crap! He thought he got it all. "Oh, yeah…sorry about that." he smiled bashfully. "I guess I had a wet dream or something. Guess I'd better change, huh?"

Emma nodded as she watched him walk over to his yet unpacked bag and pullout a change of clothes. "Maybe you should shower first?" she asked. "I mean, I was gonna take one first if you didn't mind, but it looks like you need one more then I do right now."

"Well we're sharing a bed, how about sharing a shower as well?"

"S-sharing a…sharing a s-sh-shower?!"

"'We're both adults' remember?" he quoted her, dropping his boxers and slinging a towel over his shoulders.

"Go for it Em-chan!" Chii cheered from her spot in a tree.

"Go for what?" Sakura asked, grabbing for the binoculars around Chii's neck.

Chii pushed her hand away. "Not now Sakura, this is adult stuff, right master Jiraiya?"

"Wow, look at the knockers on her!" he yelled, eyeing the pool with his looking glass.

**_BAM!_**

"Quit ogling bimbos and pay attention!" Chii scolded him, knocking him upside his head with her binoculars.

"I told you we should've left him back home." Sakura sighed. _'That Pervy Sage is even more useless then Naruto!'_

"He-he, sorry about that." Jiraiya laughed, rubbing the obvious lump on his head. "I was just doing some research for my next book."

"Well we didn't come here so you could check out a bunch of scantily-clad women half your age, did we?"

"Well I don't know about you but-"

**_KONK!_**

"Nice job Sakura." Chii smiled.

"Thanks!"

"Now look here…" Chii stated, pulling the toad sage by his ear. "We came here to make sure this whole thing with Kakashi and Em-chan goes off without a hitch, got it? So if I catch you so much as glancing towards the pool I'll tell Sasuke you said Naruto was better then him, or even worse I'll find Lady Tsunade and tell her you called her an old hag, got it?"

"Alright, I gotcha." he sighed in defeat. "But just how are we gonna get them together if she's passed out?"

"What?" Chii asked, turning around and looking back at the couple's window. "Damnit! Em-chan must've fainted when Kakashi lost his boxers!"

"He did WHAT?!" Sakura screamed, horrified.

"Oh grow-up Sakura, see-this is exactly why I didn't give you my binoculars."

"Eww…" Sakura grimaced, her face green. _'Still, isn't this what we wanted-the two of them together I mean?'_

"Aww…he's taking care of-WOW!"

"What is it Chii?!" Jiraiya asked.

"Well it's kinda hard to tell from back here, but it looks like our boy over there could poke an eye out with what he's pack'n down there!"

That was the last straw, Sakura puked…all over an innocent towel-boy passing by.

Jiraiya laughed. "I guess it's a good thing you haven't had the honor of seeing ME naked yet." he patted her on the back. Hearing this only made Sakura spew even harder.

"Cut that out will ya!" Chii reprimanded him. "Do you wanna give the poor girl nightmares or what?"

**Meanwhile…**

_'Oh boy…what a headache!'_ Emma thought, regaining consciousness. Sitting up on the bed she looked for signs of her roommate only to hear the water running from within the bathroom. _'I guess he's taking a shower.' _

Standing up slowly Emma walked over towards the mirror atop the vanity to see if any damage had been done to cause her head from throbbing so. _'I wonder what happened to me? Also, how the hell did I get on the bed…?' _Just then it hit her, the image of Kakashi standing completely naked in front of her. _'Oh my God…!'_ she breathed in deeply, blushing like mad.

"Oh, you're awake." Kakashi stated, exiting the bathroom with a towel around his waist.

Jumping back against the dresser, Emma let out a small 'eep!' at his sudden appearance. "Uhh…yeah." she nodded, trying her hardest not to let her eyes wonder.

"Sorry for scaring you." he smiled slightly.

"Yeah, that's okay. I'm sorry too, for well…you know, for passing out like that."

Kakashi smiled brightly as walked over and pinned her against the dresser. "There's no need to apologize, it was all my fault really. I should've remembered you're virgin." he chuckled. "You probably haven't seen a naked man before, have you?"

"That obvious, am I?" she laughed nervously.

The scarecrow beamed as he took her hands and placed them on his chest. "Go ahead, feel away." he whispered wantingly.

Emma looked at him in shock, unsure of exactly what he meant. Noticing this, Kakashi gently guided her hands across his chest and slowly down abs. Her eyes widened in shock at what he was doing, what he was letting her do. He stopped and let go of her hands just as they reached the top of his towel.

"I don't want to force you into anything you don't honestly want to do." he stated, taking her chin in his hand. "But I won't stop you from doing what we both want you to do either." Kakashi smirked, kissing her lips softly yet hungrily. Talk about getting stuck between a rock and a hard place!

Just as Emma was about to ask Kakashi what had gotten into him, painful memories of her past flooded her mind. The time in seventh grade when a boy passed her a note asking if she'd go out with him only to end up leaving her waiting several hours Friday night for a date he never intended on having with her.

The tears she shed when after saving two months allowance to buy her crush an expansive Valentine's present he later hocked to buy weed to impress a wealthy bimbo into getting himself laid-which he DID. How mortified she felt when her school's lead cheerleader spread a vicious rumor that she was gangbanged by the varsity football team because she was a cheap whore.

The gut-wrenching emotional pain she went through when her own stepfather called her an ugly cow in a drunken stupor and said "It's no wonder you haven't got a boyfriend, who'd wanna date a pathetic wretch like you?"

Some of these memories were true, while some were implanted into her from Nobou's perverse little mind. Never the less she couldn't tell the difference as they all seemed far too real to her and she panicked at the thought that history was gonna repeat itself tonight.

"NO!" She screeched, pushing him off. "I won't let you!"

Tears filled her eyes as she darted for the door only to be pulled back into his chest as his hand grabbed her wrist. "Let me go, NOW! I refuse to be another cruel joke!"

"Joke?" The scarecrow questioned, gently restraining her as she fought against him.

"I know you've been hurt in the past Emma, but please believe me when I say this is by all means NO joke."

She scoffed with a fake smugness but her tears so openly betrayed. "You pretend to be my friend only to try and seduce me so what-so you can leave me tied to the bed naked while you and your friends mock me? Or better yet, you trick me into loving you only to run off with some cheap-ass whore leaving me broken once again? Is that it, is that your plan?" Emma spat, stomping her foot down and digging her heel into his foot.

"No." Kakashi stated firmly as he turned her around to face him.

"Lies! You're nothing but a deceiving p'tak , just like the rest of them!"

"If I didn't honestly love you do you honestly think I'd be trying this hard? If I didn't care would I have rescued you from that Aneian bastard? Please just stop and THINK for a second, please." Kakashi sighed, embracing her as she fought to get loose. "Please Emma, I love you."

"No you don't." Emma cried as she ceased her struggle, her body going limp in his arms. "Nobody does. I'm just gonna die alone and unloved and there's nothing I can do about-"

Her words were cut off by the jounin's soft and gentle kiss. Pushing her against a wall Kakashi grabbed her butt and lifted her up as her legs instinctively wrapped tightly around his waist for support.

A few seconds later Emma shook her mind free and broke the kiss. "If you're not lying then prove it."

"I thought I _was_." The scarecrow smiled, now placing butterfly kisses on her collarbone.

Emma shook her head. "No, not like this. Kissing me, making me want you, that's not gonna prove anything except that I'm right and you ARE trying to pull the wool over my eyes."

"Okay then." Kakashi sighed, gently placing her down on the floor. "What will?"

"I don't know! The usual I guess."

"The usual?"

But he thought what he was doing WAS the usual! After all that's the way it worked out in his favorite graphic novels. Maybe the _Icha Icha_ series wasn't the best thing to base real life relationships on?

"Yeah, you know: love letters and poems, long walks together, spending hours on end just talking, dinner for two, flirting and holding hands, seeing movies, getting to know me better as a person, finding subtle ways to sneak a kiss or touch me, random acts of kindness, stuff like that."

Fumbling on her words every now and then, Emma found it quite awkward having to explain such things-especially to the man that just tried to bed her like some cheap whore. "You don't necessarily have to buy me expensive stuff. And forget the flowers-they're nice but they don't serve any real purpose and ultimately they last longer when they're potted. To tell the truth I'd prefer a bouquet of celery or broccoli-at least those I can eat. In short-just show me how you feel and vocalize your thoughts, ya know?"

The Jounin nodded in understanding. "So I should act like love-sick teenager like Sakura, is that it?"

Emma dead-panned. "I guess that's one way to put it." She chuckled.

"Well then I guess we'll just forgo the foreplay for now and get ready for the big day we have ahead of us." Kakashi stated, secretly making a mental note to borrow some of Sakura's _Kunoichi Weekly_ magazines in hope of finding a few useful tips.

"What big day?" She asked, confused about what the Jounin meant. "Last time I checked we were both on vacation."

"We are."

"So, shouldn't we be relaxing?"

Kakashi shook his head as he gathered a bunch of clothes and went into the bathroom to change. "By the way…" he stated, emerging fully clothed moments later. "What was that thing you called me earlier? A p'tak, I think it was?"

Blushing, Emma shook her head. "Yeah I guess I did."

"What is that?"

Emma shrugged. "I can't recall I only know it's one of the few Klingon insults I actually remember."

"Klingon?"

"Yeah, I'm kinda a Trekkie." Yet another reason for her high school seclusion. "Oh, uh, never mind." Emma blushed again, glancing at his questioning look before getting a change of clothes and towel before heading to the shower.

"In any case I'll be ready to leave when you're done with your shower." Kakashi smiled.

_'Oh, that's right-he never DID tell me what he was planning today. Oh well, I guess I'll just ask him after I come out.'_

After taking her shower Emma got out to find her clothes were gone, in their place was a lovely cotton yukata and matching obi. "Kakashi, what happened to my clothes?"

"They're in there, why?"

"No they're not, there's some kind of kimono in here."

"Yeah I know, I bought it for you."

Emma double-blinked. "You what? Why?"

"It's a surprise; you'll have to wear it to find out."

"How'd they get in here, I locked the door?!"

A husky laugh came from just outside the door. "I'm a ninja, remember?"

_'Damn sneaky shinobi and his stupid stealthy movements. Wait a minute...!'_ "What the HELL were you doing in here while I was taking a shower?!" Emma bellowed, rather pissed off.

"How else was I gonna get them in there? Besides I didn't look, if that's what you're worried about."

_'Not that it wasn't VERY tempting.'_ Kakashi grinned, remembering the silhouette of her wet body on the outside of the shower door.

"And I suppose you're the one who replaced my regular underwear with a lacy bra, thong panties, and a garter-belt?"

The scarecrow smirked at Emma's notably irritated tone of voice. "I thought you'd enjoy a new pair of matching underwear to go with the new yukata I got you."

"Thanks, but I have no idea as how to get on a garter-belt or yukata."

"I could help." The shinobi offered, opening the door on Emma clad in naught but her towel.

"Holy shit!" she screamed, shocked at the sudden intrusion. "What are you DOING in here?!" Emma panicked, retreating up against the wall.

"Didn't you just say you have no idea how to get this stuff on?" He asked, picking up the lacy thong and bending down at her feet. "Lift your leg up."

Did he just say…? Was Kakashi actually…? Oh good Lord! What the hell did this man think he was doing? Did he know just how embarrassed he just made her? Could he hear how fast her heart was surely going now? Was her face as red as she thought it was? Did he…? Did he just…? _'What the fuck?! PLEASE don't tell me he's doing what I think he is!_

Emma glanced down after feeling his hand on her one foot. Yep, he WAS doing what she thought he was. Kakashi Hatake, after getting no response from the shock stricken woman before him, had taken it upon himself to slide the thong onto her still damp body. At the current moment he was just about her mid thigh and dangerously close to the bottom of her towel. Oh, for the love of God!

Sweating bullets and blushing like a mad man, Kakashi bit his lower lip as his hands reached the bottom of Emma's towel. Deciding to give in to his nagging worries he chanced a glance up towards her shocked, pale face as he slid the sensual fabric farther up and under her towel.

Why was she letting him do this? Why didn't she stop him? How come she couldn't move? Emma gasped as she felt him pull the panties up over her nether regions, stopping slowly as he reached a hand around back to insure the string was where it aught to be. She was finally sent flying back to her senses when she felt his hand grab her ass.

"G-get out!" she screamed, pushing him backwards.

Blinking in shock for a second or two, Kakashi regained himself and promptly did what was asked of him and left. He had no idea what had gotten into him back there, or why she plagued him so. One thing was certain though; she looked hot as hell when she was pissed.

This thought caused him to smile to himself before resting on the bed and mentally chiding himself for not being able to control his sexual impulses. What was it about this girl that made everything he ever learned as a ninja fly out the window? The way he acted around her, how she made him feel, the lack of defenses while in her presence, the inability to control his emotions and act without thinking! This HAD to be love, he could think of no other alternative to explain it. Now to convince the woman he loved he was sincere, but how?

* * *

**A/N:** Hope it was worth the wait. I tried my best to make it up to par but I'm not sure if I made it a little _too_ graphic. I also hope I didn't make Kakashi too OOC in this chapter. If I did please inform me and I'll do my best to change it.

Again, I'm _SOOOOOO_ sorry for the wait and hope everyone understands and finds it in their hearts to forgive me. I'm pretty sure I've upset a LOT of people with the delay, and I guess I just hope I haven't lost all my loyal fans/readers.

Please R/R?


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